


The Good, The Bad, and The Energetic

by 0KKULTiC



Category: Produce 101 (TV), Wanna One (Band)
Genre: Country & Western Inspired, Dark Humor, Deal with a Devil, M/M, Mentions of Suicide, Mentions of Violence and Self-Harm, Modern Setting, Supernatural Elements, Swearing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-02
Updated: 2018-09-10
Packaged: 2019-05-17 08:54:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 25,985
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14829216
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/0KKULTiC/pseuds/0KKULTiC
Summary: Kang Daniel is the nation’s sweetheart. Girls love him, guys want to be him, and everyone wants to bang him. He spends more time travelling between schedules than he does in bed or at his glamorous penthouse apartment. After years of struggle, things had finally gone right for Daniel. Even with the insanity of fans, appearances, concerts, and shoots, he wouldn’t trade his lifestyle for the world. Of course, like they say:Fame has a price.And one fateful day, someone comes to collect.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> // This work is unedited and will contain increased grammatical and spelling errors.

“Daniel!” Voices echoed at a deafening volume from along the red carpet. For every second that passed, a dozen camera flashes and shutter noises rang out.

  
“Daniel!” “Daniel!” “Kang Daniel!” Microphones jutted out past the velvet ropes that lined the carpet. “Daniel!” “Daniel!” “Look over here, Daniel!” “Smile, Daniel!” “Daniel!” “Daniel!” “I love you Kang Daniel!” “Daniel!” “What’s it like being one of the most famous men in Korea?” “Daniel!” “Daniel!” “Kang Daniel!” The choir of demanding voices pulled the star’s attention every which way, but he’d learned the choreography to the dance he did with press long ago.

 

Five years ago, Kang Daniel was a nobody. He was less than a nobody, he was just a “no”. He worked part-time jobs constantly just so he could cover dance classes. Nobody knew his name, let alone gave a fuck about who he was. With student debts racking up at ten times the pace his wages could cover, he’d found himself just days away from dumping his dream in the trash for good.

 

Then, by some divine miracle, he’d gotten his big break.

 

By some insane off-chance, a big company executive stopped by the dance studio he practiced at of all places. Why the hell some big wig decided to step into the shitty little Busan studio, Daniel never knew. Apparently, he’d shown some sort of promise, because just days later he’d received a call from the man’s assistant asking him to schedule a meeting at their offices in Seoul. He’d gone in, signed his soul away, and enlisted as a trainee with them. After about a six month period, they saw him fit to debut. Daniel had no idea what they’d expected, but he doubted it was anything like what had happened.

 

His debut hit, “Energetic”, had topped charts for weeks after its release. Stores could hardly keep his first mini album stocked, and riots broke out when the shops ran out of the bonus posters. Fan meets had started to sell out within minutes; people even pitched tents in line for his fan meetings. Massive crowds gathered at the airport as early as four AM just for a chance to be within the vicinity of him. His face had been plastered on ads for everything from fried chicken to street fashion. Within a year, the whole country - and to some extent, the world - had come down with a severe case of Daniel fever. With the turbulence of the music industry, everyone (Daniel included) had thought that his popularity would die down as quickly as it had come.

 

It didn’t.

 

Five years into his career, Daniel had seen a lot. No longer was he the loser working part time in the coffee shop so he could cover studio fees. Now, studios _begged_ him to pay them a visit. The life he had so greatly toiled for had finally come to him. Sometimes, he questioned exactly what he’d done to deserve such good fortune. He liked himself decently enough; being desired by, well, everyone _did_ help one’s confidence. However, he still struggled to fathom the level of obsession that the public seemed to have reached. There were definite downsides to the massive fame he’d gotten, but he always told  himself:

 

Was it annoying? Yes.

 

Did it sign his paychecks? Also yes.

 

Being the nation’s sweetheart came at a price, and God, did he pay it.

 

The superstar waved politely to the people surrounding him. He gave the photographers smiles and poses, making sure they got his good angles. A few meters took eons to travel due to how many pictures he stopped for. After what felt like a millenium, he finally reached the entrance to the award show he’d been booked to perform at. He’d been up since six that morning and he’d already been up for twelve hours. Soon, he’d have to get ready to perform, attend the show, accept any awards he received, change for the after party, make more red carpet appearances… He felt tired just thinking about it.

 

“You wanted this,” He told himself in his head as he smiled at yet another photographer who’d decided personal space didn’t exist for celebrities.

 

“You wanted this.”

 

* * *

 

Daniel’s eyes felt heavier and heavier by the second.

 

The award show broadcast had just ended, and it couldn’t have been any sooner. The idol fantasized about falling face first into a soft bed. Unfortunately, his manager hadn’t pencilled in “bed” for him. Instead, his schedule dictated that he was to get dressed for the red carpet walk to the after party.

  
Though his most recent single didn’t get the award for hip-hop, he still (unsurprisingly) snagged the people’s choice award. Not that he could even remember where he’d put the trophy. He vaguely remembered handing it off to some staff with a few dismissive words, but that was about it.

  
He felt grateful toward the people, he really did. Even if they were occasionally insane. He just couldn’t be assed to carry the physical manifestation of his popularity at that moment. The idol eyed the dressing room doors that lined the hallway, stopping at the one with his name on it. He considered stealing a few minutes to nap and eagerly threw the door open to do just that. The couch was gonna have to do.

 

Daniel stepped in, quickly shutting the door behind him. He heaved a sigh of relief, and his shoulders sagged.

 

“Fucking finally,” He muttered, running a hand through his sweaty hair. That would need fixed.

 

“I’ll say. Some of those speeches really dragged on,” A chipper voice responded.

 

Daniel’s eyes widened and he jumped back. His jaw dropped in disbelief for a moment. When he collected himself a bit more, the surprise got replaced by acute annoyance.

  
Great. Just _great_.

 

“Wh- oh! Wow,” His shoulders shook with laughter. He’d had his fair share of crazy fans, but he thought security had cracked down in the past few months. Apparently not. “Wow, okay- So- so how did you get in here?” He smiled at the stranger, unsure of how else to react. He figured the issue would be resolved in a few minutes. One hand deftly reached for the cell in his pocket and starts tapping the passcode blindly.

 

“Oh, I let myself in,” The man said casually.

 

Daniel couldn’t help but pique an eyebrow in interest. He’d never been the type to “fraternize” with fans so to speak. He actually held quite the opposite mentality: fans were to be cherished and treated with kindness, not used and dismissed on a whim. However, this fan in particular, well, he was different.

 

The famed idol let his eyes take a long, long walk up and down the man’s body. He looked more like some young business executive than a crazed fangirl. His black suit jacket had been tailored to his body impeccably and the buttondown beneath didn’t have a single crease. The dark leather pants he wore hugged every curve of his long legs to perfection.

 

Daniel wasn’t sure if the room had grown hotter or if it was just the other occupant. Of course, the guy was still an intruder, and no amount of attractiveness made trespassing legal.

 

“Are you, um- what are you, press?” Daniel asked, waiting for his manager to respond to his SOS text or show up.

 

“Press? No. Impressive? Very.” The stranger grinned. Daniel would have been amused- alright, so maybe he found himself a _tiny_ bit amused. However, the fact that a complete stranger had broken into his dressing room kind of put a damper on the whole thing.

 

“Oh, you’re witty, too. Okay, not press… Fansite? You don’t seem the type. No camera.”

 

“Probably ‘cause I’m not,” The man in black shrugged and scrunched his nose, “But you could say I have some fans of my own”. He took a step toward the idol, and the idol instinctively took a step back, putting his hands in front of his body.

 

“Listen if it’s money you want…” Daniel frowned, “I don’t give a shit as long as you don’t hurt anybody, okay?” His amusement started to falter.

 

The stranger, on the other hand, seemed _very_ amused and took another step forward. Daniel took another step back.

 

“I’m not here for your money, Kang Daniel. I mean- Unless you wanna, like, give me some.”

 

“You’re really funny,” The idol replied wryly. His heartbeat started racing with every passing second. “What’s your name funny guy? Who are you?”

 

“People call me lots of things,” The man said, stepping closer. Daniel recoiled more. The man continued, “But you can call me Ong. Ong Seongwoo.”

 

Daniel’s face scrunched into an expression of disbelief, “ _Ong_?” He scoffed. “Sounds fake. Try and at least come up with a better fake name than that.”

 

The man’s composure momentarily crumbled, his eyes went wide and his mouth dropped with devastation, “Oh come on! I’m serious! I- Do you not-” He gestured to his face frantically for a second. Daniel looked at the man like he’d grown a second head and prayed his manager would rescue him soon. The stranger groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. Shaking his head, he once again put on the mask of collectedness that he’d worn prior.

 

“You really have no idea what I’m here for, do you?” The man in black pursed his lips, taking another step closer. Daniel backed up, hitting a wall. His heartbeat spiked with anxiety.

 

“All I know is that some lunatic managed to get into my dressing room-”

 

“And you don’t know who I am either. You don’t remember…” The gap between the two shrunk with each slow, deliberate step the man took to cross the distance. “You don’t remember me?”

 

“N-no. Wait, you’re not an executive, are you!?” The idol’s eyes widened in horror. The intruder doubled over with laughter, his nose scrunching as a wide grin crossed his face.

 

When he finally stopped, he nodded, “You know what that- that’s close! You’re getting warmer, Daniel.”

 

“I- I don’t remember, um, any meetings scheduled. I’m- I’m really sorr-”

 

“Oh how your demeanor has changed!” Seongwoo clapped with amusement.

 

“Listen, I, um, I apologize if this is all a misunderstanding. My manager will be here any second and we can-”

 

“Oh, he won’t.” Ong said nonchalantly.

 

“Wh… What?”

 

“Your manager. He’s not coming.”

 

“What- what makes you so sure?” He took his phone out of his pocket, “I texted him.”

 

“There’s no signal in here. A valiant effort, though.”

 

“Wh-” Daniel’s eyes snap to his phone screen. It’s just as the man said. On the top right of his display, bold letters read: “NO SIGNAL”. “That- that can’t be right. There was signal just a few minutes ago.”

 

“Damn cell towers. Always so unreliable.”

 

“W-well, I can connect to wifi,” Daniel retorted, tapping his passcode in once again.

 

“No you can’t,” Ong said cooly.

 

“The hell I can’t-”

 

“Unless you can text when your phone is on fire.”

 

“My what- What?! Oh my god! What the-” The cellphone in the idol’s hand spontaneously ignite in bright, hot flames. Daniel threw it across the room, in horror, his eyes blown open and heart racing even more than before.  When the phone made contact with the ground, the flames went out instantly, but the damage had been done. His hand rushed to the door handle, jiggling it hectically to no avail. He’d somehow been locked in.

 

Daniel demanded again,“What the _hell_ do you want?”

 

“Well, first of all, calm down. I’m not gonna maim you or anything like that.” Seongwoo continued closing the gap between himself and Daniel. The intruder threw his hands up, “You can even frisk me. No weapons. Not even a phone, actually.” He shrugged his jacket off and raised his arms to emphasize his point. Daniel’s eyes traced the man’s figure once more with purely investigative motives. Nothing more. Definitely not checking him out or thinking about how easily his arms would loop around that slender waist. The idol made a side note mentally that he really needed to get his priorities straight in dire situations. Also he needed to get laid.

 

“Alright, I’m calm..ish.” Daniel replied when his heart rate steadied. He still kept a firm eye on the other man- just in case. “So you gonna tell me who you are now? Some kind of a magician? What do you want? What are you here for?!”

 

The man in black (“Ong”, allegedly) looked the idol up and down. A devilish smile crossed his lips and he closed the remaining space between them, placing a hand on the wall next to Daniel’s face. Daniel’s heart jumped into his throat and a wave of heat ran down his spine. He swallowed nervously but didn’t break eye contact.

 

Seongwoo replied sweetly,“I’m here for you, gorgeous.” He leaned in so close that Daniel could feel the man’s breath tickle his nose. The idol’s breath hitched, and heat pooled in his lower abdomen at the proximity. Seongwoo nuzzled Daniel’s ear, sending another shock of desire from the idol’s throat down to his toes. The intruder whispered, his voice almost sounding like a purr, “You see, a few years back, you and I made a deal. Now, obviously, you got your side of the bargain, but me? I still haven’t been paid.”

 

Daniel blinked confusedly, his brain struggling to comprehend the man’s words, hazed with desire and puzzlement. Thinking proved too difficult given the more pressing situation he had in front of him. Literally. Payment? Deals? Gorgeous? All the stuff the man had said ended up thrown into a blender of sorts, tossed around and mixed until it was a nonsensical soup of nothing that made sense. After entirely too much effortful thought, the idol replied:

 

“How much do I owe you?” He asked. His face felt hot; he knew he was blushing in more places than his face. The man pinning him laughed. The friction of his shaking laughter did nothing to calm the idol’s burning.

 

“You really don’t remember a thing, do you?” He backed off suddenly, crossing his arms and admiring the mess he’d made of the idol with a smirk. “Shit, you’re so cute when you’re riled up…” He trailed off and his eyes wandered downward for a second. “But that’s- that’s not what we’re talking about!” His gaze returned to Daniel’s reddened face.

 

“Since you really seem to not remember, I’ll just get out with it,” Seongwoo shrugged. He backed up, grabbing a piece of folded paper from the jacket he’d discarded on the floor. In a quick motion, he unfolded the worn looking page, presenting it with a flourish. “Yes, as a human I’m Ong Seongwoo, but I go by lots of other names. The best one…” He bit his lip in thought for a few seconds, “Well, it’s probably easiest for you to call me Satan.” He grinned and waved after the self introduction.

 

Daniel’s expression of humiliated confusion fell into one of annoyance, “Is this a fucking prank show?” His eyes widened and his hands shot to cover the tent in his pants, “I- Where are the cameras?”

 

Seongwoo started giggling, “Oh my God you- you still don’t believe me.”

 

“You’re real fucking hilarious. It makes sense now. The cell signal being jammed, the fire- special effects!” Daniel groaned, “You guys are real fucking funny!” He yelled. “You can come out now!” Ong found the idol’s reaction hilarious and started crumbling to the ground, unable to cope with his raucous laughter.

 

Huffing and puffing to catch his breath, Seongwoo barely managed to reply, “A-alright, hoo, shit,” He chuckled, “Listen, that is hilarious. You.” He pointed to the idol, “You’re hilarious. _Love_ that. Still need to collect your soul, but like-”

 

“No, no you don’t. Just- Just end this charade.”

 

“Wow, okay, well… I don’t know how to tell you this, buddy, but this is real. This right here-” He waved the beat up looking piece of paper he’d held up, “This is your contract. Five years you went without paying me. Five. Fucking. Years.”

 

Daniel scowled at the man, “Okay, this was kind of humorous at first, but now you’re just insulting my intelligence.”

 

“Oh for fuck’s- okay, you know what. You want proof? Okay, boy-” Seongwoo crouched down and slapped his knees animatedly, “Sit!”

 

“What the fu-” Suddenly, Daniel plopped to the ground, sitting with his legs crossed. He felt like he was choking when he looked down at himself. He moved to stand up but couldn’t. His body wouldn’t respond. “So you’re a hypnotis-”

 

“Lay down!” Seongwoo cut him off, pointing to the ground. Daniel’s body obediently fell to the ground, splaying out flat so he could only hold his torso up by his elbows. Once again he tried to move with all his might, but his body remained petrified in place.

 

“Unhypnotize me. _Now_.” Daniel said through gritted teeth.

 

“Come here! Come here boy!” The devil cheerily patted his thighs, beckoning the idol to him. Once again the idol’s body moved on its own; on all fours he crawled toward the entirely too amused man in black. Upon reaching the man, he sat down and looked up at the stranger with scorn. “Good boy!” Ong cooed dramatically, ruffling Daniel’s hair.

 

“I get it, you’re funny, you’re a hypnotist. Undo it.” Daniel seethed. He’d never had strong feelings about hypnosis before, but he quickly concluded that he hated it. A lot.

 

“Okay I feel like… I feel like I’m not getting through to you here,” Seongwoo said, his tone entirely too lighthearted for Daniel’s liking. “Okay new approach, new approach.” He grabbed his jacket and reached into the pocket again, this time withdrawing a long, gleaming blade. Daniel’s eyes widened and his mouth flaps open and closed in panic. He tried to back away but remained rooted in place. His chest began heaving frantically.

 

“Wh- Oh! Oh no, no, no!” Seongwoo puts his hands (and dagger) up in front of himself, shaking his head, “No! Oh- You know, this looks bad doesn’t it.” He puts his hands on his hips, one still grasping the long blade firmly.

 

“You’re going to kill me?!” Daniel squeaked out.

 

“No, no- shhh, shhh. No, you’re gonna kill _me_.” He extends the dagger toward the idol, holding it by the blade so the hilt faced the other.

 

The idol suddenly found himself able to move and snatched the blade with haste, holding it out in front of himself defensively. He scrambled to stand and backed away as quick as he possibly could.

 

“Okay, have at me.” Seongwoo said, waving Daniel forward. The idol remained still by his own volition. He eyed the man suspiciously. Ong sighed, “Come on, don’t make me make you. I- I really don’t feel like being here all day. I don’t.” He crossed over to the other again, grasping the idol’s wrist. Daniel started to protest, but before he could do anything Seongwoo had taken hold of the hand gripping the dagger. He roughly guided the idol’s weapon wielding hand toward his neck, slicing across from one side of his collarbone to the other.

 

The air left Daniel’s lungs and nausea overcame his senses as he watched blood slowly drip from the fresh wound - the wound he’d inflicted.

 

“Ahhh!” Seongwoo crumbled to the ground, wailing in agony, “Ahh! Fuck! Oh- It hurts! It hurts! How could you do this Kang Daniel?! How!?” He started choking loudly and blood sputtered out of his mouth. Daniel backed into the wall, clinging to it for dear life as tears welled up in his eyes. Colors spotted his vision as consciousness grew increasingly difficult to cling to.

 

“Oh my God! Oh my God!” Daniel’s hand clamped over his mouth as the feeling of pure sickness took hold of him.

 

Seongwoo rolled around on the ground and writhed. Initially, Daniel thought it was due to pain, but he slowly began to realize that the noises coming from the man weren’t noises of despair.

 

They were laughs.

 

Triumphantly, Ong hopped back onto his feet and walked over to Daniel. The idol, through tears, could just barely see the long slash he’d made close up right before his eyes.

 

“Had you goin’ there, didn’t I?” Ong asked with a smirk.

 

Daniel carefully brought the dagger up to his eyes; there was definitely blood (or something) on the blade. He shakily swiped a finger across the blade. Still warm, still wet. He brought his bloodied finger to his nose to verify that the substance was, in fact, blood. It smelled metallic and the consistency felt right. Ong, amused, took hold of Daniel’s hand once more, guiding the man’s fingers across his rapidly healing wound. The wound closed up quickly, and his body worked at restoring the scarred tissue back to its normal, supple condition. Daniel watched in fascination, he kept his finger pressed to the wounded area, mystified as the skin became smoother and softer just beneath his touch.

 

“Believe me now?” Seongwoo asked when his wound fully healed.

 

Daniel dazedly looked up at the man before him and breathily muttered, “You’re the devil.” The world quickly faded after that, and the last thing he remembered before passing out was Satan himself looping an arm around his waist to catch him.

 

* * *

 

Muffled voices and dim light were the first things to wake Daniel from his unplanned nap. The idol’s eyes stung as they adjusted to the light that started flooding his vision.

 

“Thank God, finally. You’re awake,” A familiar voice rang out. Daniel groaned upon hearing his manager’s voice. The older gentleman who’d been tasked with running the idol’s life started talking about how irresponsible he’d been. The idol didn’t really pay attention, instead looking around the room to see where he’d ended up. Luckily he hadn’t been taken far, or, really, anywhere at all.

 

Whoever had found him had laid him down on the couch in his dressing room. Next to his manager stood a couple of staff members and an EMT. The staffers shoved food and drink in the idol’s face while the EMT quickly got to checking vitals. When his vision cleared, Daniel glanced around frantically for the man in black.

 

But he was gone.

 

“What are you looking at?!” His manager snapped in front of his face, “Eyes here, okay? We’re cancelling your schedules for the rest of the day.”

 

“Wh- No! No, I’m fine. Really!” Daniel insisted.

 

His manager shook his head, rejecting him firmly, “This is not a matter of debate. People have been saying you’ve been overworking yourself. This is just the type of episode we don’t need to see in the press! When you feel ready to walk, a car is waiting to take you back to the hotel. Get some rest.”

 

Daniel huffed. He could do nothing other than accept, so he did just that. After laying down for another ten minutes or so, he felt decent enough to walk around. With staff escorting him, he got into his vehicle and watched the world roll by.

 

He thought that maybe the rest would do him some good. Clearly he needed some if his crazy dreams were any indication.

 

* * *

 

Daniel ruffled his damp hair with the towel he’d slung over his shoulders.

 

“Damn! No wonder you’re popular,” An annoyingly familiar voice rang out in the room.

 

Daniel’s heart sunk as he turned to the source of the voice. Perched chipperly on the edge of his bed was his new acquaintance, Ong Seongwoo, also known as Satan. Lucifer. Beelzebub. The goddamn devil.

 

“Fuck!” Daniel jumped back, startled. He feared that he’d faint again, “I thought you were a hallucination.”

 

“Do you still think that?”

 

“I don’t know what to think anymore.”

 

Ong smirked, “If you’re afraid I’m a mirage or something you can always come over here and touch me.” He wiggled his eyebrows.

 

Daniel’s mind gave pause for an instant and he considered the man before him,“Ugh,” He rolled his eyes, “You’re shameless.” He sat on the opposite side of the bed, throwing the towel he’d been using on his hair onto his crotch for modesty. The man was literally the physical incarnation of evil, but that didn’t mean Daniel had to throw _all_ decency to the wind.

 

“Duh. Satan,” Ong shrugged, “And I am glad you’re starting to accept it!”

 

“It makes sense, I guess. The break in, the fire, the mind control weirdness, your… The effect on me.”

 

“You mean the hard-on?”

 

Heat stung Daniel’s cheeks and ears, “I can’t say I exactly reca-”

 

“Because that wasn’t me. I mean- I am cute,” Seongwoo chuckled, cupping his face for a few seconds,“But I didn’t manipulate your mind into thinking that. That was all you, buddy. You’re just horny. For real, though, like- when’s the last time you got laid? You’d think an idol like you would have people just-”

 

“What do you want?!” Daniel yelled, the noise echoing off the ceiling of the confined space.

 

The devil pouted, “You’re no fun. But, hey, if you wanna talk business,” He stood up, sticking his hands in his pockets and striding over to the naked idol, “I’ll talk business.” His tone dropped into something much more serious. “Remember this?” He grabbed the piece of paper he’d been waving around hours earlier and brandished it in front of the idol’s face.

 

Upon closer inspection, it looked even stranger. Though it seemed to be paperesque, it looked more like a hide of some sort up close. It made Daniel’s skin crawl just to see it. The edges looked like they’d been singed and the markings on it could hardly be called writing.

 

They looked more like a series of obscure scribbles and runes burned onto the surface than any kind of legible system of language. Though the arcane markings on the “paper” were completely baffling, one thing did stand out as something Daniel could recognize. On the lower corner, amidst scribbles and scratches, a clearly written name had been burned in: Kang Daniel. Accompanying the idol’s handwriting was a small splotch of deep, rusty red. Blood.

 

“What the shit is this?” Daniel asked.

 

“It’s your contract,” Seongwoo said.

 

“Am I supposed to be able to read the terms? That’s kind of unfair, isn’t it? A contract  that only one of us can understand.”

 

“First of all,” Ong pointed to himself, “Satan. Second of all, it’s fair if you actually pay off your fucking debt.”

 

“Okay, fine. What do I owe you? I’ll write you a damn check right now.”

 

“Ha ha, very funny Mr. Famous. It obviously doesn’t fucking work like that. There’s interest that needs to be accounted for-”

 

“Ah, right, the interest! Is that specified over here by the short, fat scribbles or up here by the swirly scratchy burns?”

 

“Actually it’s specified by the this-isn’t-a-fucking-joke clause which, if I recall, we inscribed up your ass,” The two exchanged sarcastically saccharine smiles.

 

“So what you’re telling me is I can’t pay off this debt? At all?”

 

“No,” Seongwoo shook his head, “The payment terms we agreed on are not something you can… Pay for retroactively.”

 

Daniel shivered, his heart started to sink, “What’s gonna happen to me?”

 

“Well, you’ve got two options,” Seongwoo took a seat on the bed next to the idol. “Option one: you go to hell and never come back. Kang Daniel ceases to exist. I know hell gets a bad rep, but it’s really not like Dante’s Inferno or whoever the fuck described it. Now, I like to think of it as a… Very aggressive Flint, Michigan. Think anarchy! And yes, there is some fire, but not _everywhere_! It’s actually pretty diverse. I mean- no food can grow, but you literally won’t need food to survive. And we’ve got tons of booze!

 

Regarding your disappearance, I’m not talking dying or… death. It’s not just like, you die. It’s like you never were here in the first place kind of thing. With this option you don’t have to worry about your loved ones being sad that you’re dead. You were never born, so… Yeah.”

 

“So yeah,” Daniel mimicked, laughing humorlessly. Tears stung his eyes and devastation began to set into his features, “And option number two?”

 

“Well option number two’s, um, it’s a little simpler. You just, um… Your soul is mine for the rest of eternity!” He waved his hands with a flourish, “You’re my slave. You are at my beck and call. I need you, you come. I say jump, you ask how high. I’m entitled to pop in on you unannounced whenever I feel like it.” He intently studied the still unclothed idol up and down, “Can’t say I’d mind that.”

 

“So my life is either erased completely or I live my life in servitude.” Daniel said grimly. Suddenly he clapped his hands together and bowed his head. Manically he began muttering under his breath as tears fell, “Father, my heart cries out to You for mercy and grace, knowing that there is nothing that commends me…”

 

“For fuck’s sake,” Seongwoo pinched the bridge of his nose as he groaned, “Do you know how embarrassing you’re being right now?”

 

“...I have sinned against you and I confess my sins against you, you and my heart’s desire turn away from-”

 

“Babe, I got news for you. God is not gonna help you. This isn’t just me being skeptical or bitter, this is the truth.”

 

Daniel’s body starts quaking violently with stifled sobs. The devil’s eyes widened and he started patting the praying man on the back as a gesture of comfort.

 

“Do not _fucking_ touch me,” Daniel cried between sobs. Ong obliged, lifting his hand off the other’s shoulder in defeat.

 

“Shhh, shh, shh, I mean, if- if you choose the second option. I’m, like, not even that bad of a slave monger you know? I’m like a cool slave owner. I don’t even- I don’t even have that many and honestly I don’t bother them much. I’d probably just like use you for sex sometimes you know-” A loud wail cut off his attempted comfort. The devil winced, trying to put out the fire at least relatively, “-joke! That was a joke!”

 

“How the _fuck_ can you joke about this?!” Daniel cried, “Fuck, why couldn’t I be more religious in my life?” He threw his head in his hands.

 

His life was over.

 

Actually, no, that would be better than what he’d been sentenced to. He’d been sentenced to an eternity - either one spent as a slave or one in which he knew his loved ones didn’t love him, didn’t even know him. It hurt. Everything hurt. He hurt. He didn’t know what he’d done to deserve such a fate. Well, okay, he _did_ , but he didn’t know how the hell a man could hold him to a contract he didn’t even recall signing. Suddenly, an idea came to his head.

 

“Wait-” Daniel uttered suddenly, “What if I kill myself?”

 

“Wh- Wh- No, no, no. Don’t do that,” Seongwoo said, but it was too late. Daniel jumped up (still naked) and swiftly stuck his hands inside Ong’s jacket. “Wh- I like where this is going,” Satan couldn’t help making the quip. Daniel withdrew the dagger that he’d recalled being there earlier. He eyed it for an instant before putting it to his neck.

 

“I lied! I lied! I don’t like where this is going! I don’t like where this is going!” Seongwoo threw his hands up, face full of panic.

 

Daniel looked the devil in the eye, his gaze unwavering, “What’s the matter? Mad I found a loophole?”

 

“No, you dumbass we have a clause for that! _Obviously-_ ” Daniel pushed the blunt of the blade into his skin, prompting Seongwoo to change direction, “You kill yourself now you get sent straight to hell _and_ you’re erased. No take backs!  Do you really wanna make that decision right this second? Think about this!”

 

“I don’t need to think about it! If I’m sent to hell at least it’s on my own fucking terms!” The idol yelled back. His hand shuddered, and he lifted the dagger once more, turning the sharp blade to his throat.

 

“I can just control your body, you know. You’ll never be able to kill yourself if I-”

 

“I’ll keep this knife at my neck for an eternity, then. The second you slip up, I cut. Surely you’ve got shit to do. Are you really telling me you can babysit my ass for hours? Days? Years?”

 

“Wait! Wait! Wait! Don’t do that! For fuck’s sake value your humanity-”

 

“As if you put any value on it?!” The sharp blade slipped slightly, just barely knicking Daniel’s neck. Blood welled up in the tiny cut and started dripping down. Seongwoo’s jaw dropped. The idol took a deep breath and squeezed his eyes shut.

 

Panicked, the devil reached out toward the idol and yelled, “ _Wait_! Wait! Wait! Wait- I’ll- I’ll cut a deal! I’ll cut a deal! I’ll cut you a fucking deal!”

 

Silence.

 

Daniel blinked his eyes open; they were red, puffy, and full of tears. His chest rattled with ragged breaths. He sniffled, and responded hoarsely:

 

“I’m listening.”

 

“Okay, well, I’m not negotiating with the man who has a knife, so, if you would just…” Seongwoo gestured to the ground. Daniel nodded and threw the long blade on the floor, kicking it out of reach. “Yes, good. Thank you. Now, let’s sit down. Calm down. Maybe… Maybe cover you up.”

 

Daniel unceremoniously threw the blanket over his crotch. He quirked an eyebrow, eager to hear the devil’s proposal.

 

“Okay, are we… Are we calm? Are we ready to listen?”

 

“Don’t patronize me,” Daniel said flatly.

 

“Right,” Seongwoo nodded, looking Daniel in the eye before he continued to explain, “Your deal. Well… I guess the best way to put it is to just… Say it.”

 

“Don’t make me grab the dagger.”

 

“So impatient,” Ong shook his head before transitioning back into being serious. “Alright, well, here’s the thing: a lot people out there make deals with yours truly. They agree on a price, I provide the service or skill, they pay. Sometimes payments are arranged to be in installments, sometimes it’s a lump sum. Occasionally it’s a pawn situation. It’s pretty simple to deal with people, but… Not everyone who makes a deal with me is human.”

 

“Not… Human? Like animals?”

 

Seongwoo snorted but quickly composed himself to continue, “You could say they act like animals, but they’re not part of any genus you’d find on earth. I’m talking about demons.”

 

“D-demons?” Daniel’s expression transitioned from misery to misery tinted with curiosity. His inner nerd couldn’t help but be intrigued.

 

“Demons,” Seongwoo nodded in affirmation.

 

“Um, I- I kind of get the idea of demons, but for, um, clarification… What are demons? Like, really? And what do they have to do with me?”

 

“Patience, patience. Let’s just lay out the terms first, okay?”

 

Daniel nodded, muttering a quiet, “Alright.”

 

“Like I said, I don’t always make deals with humans. When I do, well… You guys are easy to deal with. Mostly. Demons? Not so much. They’re nasty pieces of work. Now, those guys? They’re not allowed to walk the earth, at least- not regularly. However, well, yours truly has the jurisdiction to make… Arrangements.”

 

“Arrangements?”

 

“Arrangements.”

 

“What kind of arrangements?”

 

“Well- how to explain in like- simple mortal terms… Basically, demons are physically incapable of inhabiting this realm. They just can’t, it is intrinsic in their existence that they exist in hell. However, they _can_ inhabit a human vessel.

 

You guys die a lot, so it’s not super hard to find a vessel, but those fuckers can be picky. Plus, your bodies expire pretty quickly. It’s like… It’s like someone needs an organ donor, except that organ donor needs to be hot.”

 

“That’s terrible.”

 

Seongwoo shrugged, “I mean I’m- yeah, anyways that’s not the point. Point is: there may or may not be demons walking among humanity. Obviously, there are rules, and they’re pretty keen to follow those rules. Earth’s pretty nice all things considering. However, some… Well, they don’t like to follow the rules. Others may follow the rules, but they can’t keep up with their payments.”

 

“So they’re like me.”

 

“Sort of. Except, their only option is to get sent back to hell. Their human vessel dies. Again. So, in that aspect it’s different. They don’t disappear.”

 

“Where do I come into all of this?”

 

“While there are tons of demons walking the Earth, most tow the line. Most. Like I said, sometimes they, uh, don’t. I’ve got nine delinquent contracts that need to be resolved right now, and you’re gonna help me.”

 

“I- What? N-no. I mean- how?!”

 

“Listen, if I could do this myself easily, I’d have done it a long ass time ago. But, these fuckers are slippery. They get one whiff of me and they’re halfway across the damn globe. It’s not like they’re super easy to track down, either. Some big offenders even hop vessels or use their supernatural abilities which is _not_ how we do things. That shit can get real rocky. Like, I’m talking The Exorcist kinda shit.”

 

“I don’t see how I can possibly help, though.”

 

“Sorry- I’ll be as frank as possible. I can sense these guys within… A pretty big radius, I can even pin them down sometimes. But I haven’t been able to get near them. Some of these demons I’ve been trailing for nearly a fuckin’ decade. I can’t get near them, but you?

 

You’re perfect.

 

Pure of heart, hot as hell, and famous? They won’t be able to resist you. If you can just get them cornered, I can swoop in when they’re weak and send them back where they belong.”

 

“Like bait?”

 

“Well not necessarily. I’m not gonna just tie you up and dangle you from a massive fishing pole. Unless you’re into that.”

 

Daniel rolled his eyes, “So I’m helping you essentially... Bounty hunt demons.”

 

“That’s pretty much it! Just nine contracts. Nine!” Seongwoo held up nine fingers to punctuate the point.

 

“That sounds really nice in comparison to eternity, but when am I gonna have time to go demon hunting?!”

 

“Really? Is that what you’re worried about right now?”

 

“Taking a sudden break can wreak havoc on my career!”

 

“So can being sent to fucking _hell_ , Daniel!”

 

“Fuck,” The idol put his head in his hands, “You’re right, you’re right. I’m not… I’m not thinking straight.” He sighed, “Am I gonna need to sign another contract?”

 

“No,” Seongwoo shook his head, “This one will be verbal. We’ll sign it by a shake,” He lifted his hand. “Kang Daniel, if you agree to help me send the nine delinquent demons back to hell, upon the last contract being resolved your delinquent contract is waived completely.” Daniel glanced at the man extending his hand. He inspected the other’s face for any type of misdirection, any slight curve of the lips or smile in his eyes, but he looked completely serious. The idol lifted his hand to meet Seongwoo’s, but just as the other was about to shake it, he drew back.

 

“By ‘waived’ you mean that it’s- it’s paid for, it’s dead, it’s done. I’m free.”

 

“Yes, you’ll be free.”

 

“ _Completely_ free of obligation no- no surprise visits, no take backs.”

 

“No take backs.”

 

“After you send the ninth demon back to hell, I will never, _ever_ have to see you again.”

 

“Never.”

 

Daniel extended his hand and just as Ong is about to take it, once again, he draws back.

 

“You mean it?”

 

“Never. You won’t even remember I exist.”

 

“There’s not some damn clause that’ll fuck me over? No deadline? No weird, ass backwards-”

 

“It’s a verbal contract, Daniel. Every word I just said _is_ the explicit agreement. Nothing more, nothing less. I promise.”

 

“I don’t trust you.”

 

“That’s fair, but understand the position you’re in. Do you want the deal or not?”

 

Daniel pouted his lips and stared at the devil’s hand for a minute. Finally, he hesitantly took Seongwoo’s hand and gave it a firm shake.

 

Suddenly, a spark of burning pain seared the idol’s palm. He drew his hand back and inhaled sharply. With wide eyes he inspected the burn to see that three small dots had been branded on the palm of his hand.

 

Fury constricting the idol’s voice, he demanded,“What the fuck just happen-”

 

“Calm down, it’s just a symbol of our agreement. Since there’s no paper contract, that acknowledges that an agreement was made. It’ll disappear when you’re done.”

 

Daniel frowned but conceded, “Fine. But if you try and pull any weird shit I- I’ll-”

 

“You’ll do what?”

 

“I’ll figure it out,” The idol huffed through gritted teeth.

  
Seongwoo gave the idol a wide, sweet smile and patted him on the head, “Sure you will.”

 

Daniel didn’t know how to respond. There wasn’t really a WikiHow article on how to properly make a deal with the devil. Awkwardness increased with each second of silence, until Satan finally broke the silence.

 

“Right, well… You can sit tight,” Seongwoo said in a chipper tone, “And I’ll come fetch you real soon, okay?” He stood up and adjusted his jacket. Skipping across the room, he picked up the knife that had been kicked away. “Any… Any questions?”

 

The idol frowned; he looked at the devil grimly, “I-”

 

“Just kidding, I don’t care,” Seongwoo cut him off. Daniel rolled his eyes. He felt disappointed, but not surprised, that the man thought it appropriate to make jokes just then. More disappointed that he’d fallen for it (or any of this guy’s crap), though. “Don’t worry. You’ll hear from me real soon, and, trust me, you’ll know what you… Need to know. Don’t get all bothered about the whole ‘Satan’ thing,” He used air quotes. Like he’s not actually the goddamn devil.

 

“Are you done?” Daniel asked in a clipped tone.

  
Seongwoo threw his hand sup, “Okay, I get the hint-”

 

“There are no hints. I want you to leave!”

 

“Right, well,” He patted the idol on the shoulder, “See you soon, buddy.”

  
Daniel blinked, and Seongwoo disappeared. The idol jolted up, his head darting around hectically. The man was really gone. In the blink of an eye. Skeptical, Daniel searched his room for any trace of trickery. There weren’t any hidden cameras or trap doors.

 

There were, however, tiny bottles of liquor that the idol knew he could expense to the company. Finally, something that made sense.

 

Korea’s golden boy grabbed the first thing he could reach without reading the label. He unscrewed the little cap and poured the contents down his throat. Vodka. Objectively, it was pretty crappy stuff. Cheap. Definitely not worth whatever ransom the four star hotel charged for it. However, that _teensy_ window of time during which the idol felt relief, that burn in his throat, that was priceless.

 

* * *

 

Daniel woke up to a throbbing head and blaring alarm. He squinted his eyes to check his phone: five thirty in the morning. He groaned. The previous day remained mostly intact save for the last few hours where things kinda started to blur. He remembered being woken up in his dressing room and put in time out for over exertion. He didn’t precisely recall how much he’d had to drink, but his dry mouth and aching temples made sure to remind him that it was a lot. Aside from there, there were a couple of fleeting visions that phased into his brain, but they seemed way too fake to have been real. They were probably dreams, he thought. The idol pawed at his phone until the alarm ceased, and he went about his morning routine with relative normality.

 

The shower helped, and after a glass of water and ibuprofen, he started to return to his normal self. He slathered his typical slew of skincare products on his body and got dressed for his morning schedule. Luckily, all he had to do was meet with some designers regarding an upcoming collaboration. Apparently, his style intrigued fashion brands enough to warrant a line (even though the idol would live in sweats if he could).

 

“Buzz! Buzz!”

 

Daniel almost jumped through the ceiling when his phone vibrated. He fumbled with the device before finally being able to focus on the letters across the screen. His manager was calling. The hungover idol huffed, swiping across the touchscreen to take the call.

 

“Daniel! Good morning,” His manager said in an entirely too cheery tone for the morning.

 

“ G’morning,” Daniel mumbled into the mic. “What’s going on? Is this about the morning schedule?”

 

“Yes, well, sort of. I want to apologize profusely in advance, but- Well, something sudden has come up. I’d like to meet with you for breakfast if that’s feasible. We can just meet at the hotel’s restaurant.”

 

“It’s… It can’t wait until the afternoon?” He wanted to add “when I’m actually awake” but didn’t.

 

“N...No. I’m sorry, it cannot. I, um, well it’s an urgent matter. Once again, I apologize, but- Well, can you just meet me at six at the restaurant?”

 

Daniel frowned, “Is it… Is it bad? Is there some kind of an emergency?”

 

“No! No, no, no, nothing drastic like that. Not at all. It’s- it’s good. I think it will be good for the both of us. Just- just come down at six, okay?”

 

“I’ll see you then,” Daniel wondered if the man could hear how done he was, because he was done. It wasn’t even six in the morning, but God, was he already done.

 

“See you soon!” The manager said, hanging up immediately after. The rolled his eyes, nearly throwing his phone back down. He ended up placing it gently by the sink, but in spirit, he threw it across the room.

 

* * *

 

Thirty minutes later, Daniel strode across the lobby to the hotel’s esteemed restaurant. He was neither bright eyed, nor bushy tailed, but he was there. That, he figured, ought to be enough.

  
The manager had already gotten a table and waved Daniel over. The star looked like a complete slob in his sweats compared to vibe of the pristine, beautiful eatery. He even passed a couple eating charcuterie. _Charcuterie_ . At six in the fucking morning. There were _so_ many questions propping up in the idol’s brain that he knew would never be answered.

 

“Good morning,” Daniel said in the most amiable voice he could muster before the hours reached double digits.

 

“Good morning,” His manager looked bouncy. Literally. He bounced his leg up and down anxiously; Daniel had seen the man like that before. He liked to bounce and twitch when he had exciting news. “Were you able to get some rest? Are you feeling alright?”

 

“I’m fine,” Daniel replied. Emphasis on the “lied”. What he really wanted to say was, “What the fuck do you want?” and “I’m hungover”.

 

A waitress came by and took drink orders. The manager got black coffee and Daniel got an americano. The high pitch of her voice and way her eyes lingered weren’t lost on the idol. In the distance, he could even make out the sound of some hushed giggling. He made a mental note to write something sweet on the receipt before leaving.

 

When the two had finally settled in, Daniel’s longtime manager finally decided to tell him what was going on.

 

“W-well, I- I don’t want to delay this process any further, so I’ll just, um, rip off the band-aid,” The manager rambled deliriously. He looked like he really badly wanted to smile, but he held it in (barely).

 

“Um, you said it wasn’t bad, right?”

 

“Yes- well, not necessarily.”

 

“Why don’t you tell me what it is?”

 

“Well, it’s good news! Sort of.”

 

“Sort of?” Daniel quirked an eyebrow. He’d gradually started feeling more and more human as time went on. He’d gotten some food in his stomach and the caffeine had started doing its godly work in his veins. He felt much more patient.

 

“I- I’ll get out with it! The company is promoting me!”

 

“Whoa!” The idol’s jaw dropped, “Congratulations!” He smiled. “That’s amazing! What kind of promotion are we talking, here? You deserve the pay raise.” The man wasn’t necessarily someone Daniel could say he felt close with, despite years of working together. But man, was he good at his job. Daniel may have done the work, but it was his manager who kept him on track, always booking him good gigs, keeping him on time.  

 

“Well, they asked me to be a management director- I- it’s complicated. Basically, I’d be looking over, well, people like me. Making sure they’re doing their jobs for their respective departments.”

 

“Whoa, sounds like a lot of responsibility. How are you gonna juggle that work with- well, with me?”

 

The older man’s face fell, “I- um, that’s the thing, Daniel. This is a great opportunity for me. It offers generous compensation, more than I could ever get in this role, and it’s work I’m very interested in, but…”

 

Daniel’s face fell as the pieces fell into place, “You’re quitting.”

 

“I’m- I’m not quitting. I will always watch over you, okay? We’ve had some amazing years together. I’m just… I’m moving up in the world. I’m sorry, Daniel, I know this is sudden,” He looked hopeful. Daniel couldn’t bring himself to be mad at the guy, he’d probably worked for decades to reach the point he’d gotten to; probably put in a long of long nights away from family and taken a lot of shit.

 

“You know what- no. Don’t apologize. This is- this is great for you. I’m happy for you,” Daniel flashed a half-assed grin. “Just, damn. It’s been years, it really has.”

 

“Five to be exact,” His manager (ex-manager) nodded with a nostalgic smile. “Now, it’s time for a new chapter in my life.”

 

“Wow!” Daniel couldn’t help but wonder when his own life would turn the page to a new chapter. He’d been at it for five years, and no apparent end could be seen. He didn’t dislike his lifestyle, not in the slightest. Despite its inconveniences, he wouldn’t trade it for the world. Still, he couldn’t help but fantasize about other things, too. Maybe not the white picket fence and two children, but an apartment and some dogs would be nice. A husband or a wife, someone who would love him unconditionally.

 

He ousted the little fantasies from his head when he remembered that there was still someone there,“So… When’s it gonna be? This big transition?” He tried to sound excited for the other.

 

The older man’s bit his lip, his eyes darting away, “See, that’s the thing… The reason I called this meeting so suddenly is, well… They want me to start orientation today.”

 

“What?” Any hint of congratulations or enthusiasm on the idol’s face vanished. “Wait- what?”

 

“Yes, it was- it was very sudden as I said. But- but it’s a great opportunity.”

 

“What the hell am I supposed to do without a manager? How long am I gonna have to go living like a- a fucking savage?!” Daniel groaned. “I- You know I can hardly handle my schedules as is. How the hell am I expected to stay on top of my schedules when I have to handle the burden of arranging everything too?!”

 

“Daniel, calm down.”

 

“I am calm!” The idol exclaimed. A few of the other diners in the restaurant turned their heads to his table. He smiled sheepishly at the weird charcuterie couple before lowering his voice, “I _am_ calm.” He said again, “I just- Look, I rely on you a lot. I’m not gonna ask you to reject this opportunity, but… Can’t it wait? Like a day? At least until they find a replacement?”

 

A wide grin crossed the manager’s face, “That’s the best part, Daniel. They’ve already found a replacement.” He sounded like he’d just told Daniel where to find buried treasure.

 

“Wh… They have?”

 

The manager nodded, “They have. They made sure to arrange it prior so the transition was seamless as possible. Now- I’ve met the guy and let me tell you, you are going to love him.”

 

“I will?” Daniel gave the other a look of disbelief.

 

“Oh, yes. He’s a fresh graduate with great credentials. He interned with a telecom company and graduated with a degree in business management. Minored in marketing. His recommendations were full of accolades.”

 

“That’s… That’s good. I- I guess I just will need to take time to get used to him.”

 

“That’s the thing, too. This guy? Funny. Witty. You two are gonna get along well, I know it! You’ll be able to relate on all that stuff you young people like, I’m sure.”

 

“O… Okay. So, wait, if you’re leaving today, then… Am- Am I gonna meet him today?”

 

“Yes! As a matter of fact, he’ll be here any minute-” The (ex)manager stood up abruptly, “Actually, there he is now. Over here!” He waved someone over.

 

Daniel instinctively stood up. Still half asleep, he immediately went into formal mode, bowing as he greeted the person approaching the table.

 

“Hello. My name is Kang Daniel, it’s my pleasure to meet you. I hope we can work together well,” When he stood upright from his bow, his eyes were met with the most dreadful sight he’d witnessed in probably his entire life.

 

The young man bowed and said, “My name is Ong Seongwoo. The pleasure is all mine! I look forward to working well together!” He gave the idol a wide grin. Even with a big, fluffy cardigan and glasses, his appearance was unmistakable.

 

Daniel’s jaw dropped open.

 

No.

 

No.

 

No _fucking_ way.

 

“Well,” The (ex)manager smiled, patting Seongwoo on the shoulder, “He’s all yours now. Daniel,” He approached the idol. Daniel came crashing back to earth. When the newly minted director pulled him in for a hug, he dazedly returned. His eyes never left his new manager, even when the old one babbled some emotional speech in his ears. Something about “you’re gonna do great” and “he’ll take care of you”. He even had the gall to add “I know he’s got great looks, but try not to make a scandal”. Daniel knew it was a joke, but he derived zero humor from it. The only scandal he wanted to make regarding Ong Seongwoo was one where he smacked the crap out of him. In public, preferably.

 

“You two get to know each other. Seongwoo, I’ll be checking up on you soon!” The man said, waving goodbye.

 

Seongwoo jauntily waved back, a big, stupid grin on his face, “I’m counting on it, director!” The farewell gestures continued until the old manager- director- was out of sight.

 

Vivid memories of the previous day came flooding into Daniel’s mind. The fog that had obscured it before had disappeared. He remembered exactly what happened, why he wanted to drink so badly. It was that man, right there. The one standing in front of him with a smile that many would probably mistake for innocent.

  
Daniel knew damn well it wasn’t.

 

It was a smirk. A smug, smug smirk. He looked so satisfied with himself; “he” being the devil himself.

 

“Why the long face?” Seongwoo taunted; he took a seat across from Daniel’s, “Is that any way to start a new partnership?” Daniel reluctantly sat back down. He didn’t want to make a scene. Well, he _wanted_ to, but he knew he probably shouldn’t.

 

“What’s going to happen to him?” Daniel growled.

 

Confusion wiped across the devil’s features, “What?”

 

“My old manager. What did you do to him? What do you plan on doing to him?”

 

“Wh- Nothing. He got the job, he’s gonna do the job. Also, good morning to you, too, Daniel! Man, what they say about celebs being rude? _So_ true.”

 

“It seems really convenient that he just got a promotion less than twenty four hours after you tell me you need to use me as demon bait.”

 

“Oh my- fine. So I pulled some strings. I may have planted the idea in some higher ups’ heads, but that’s it. He’s qualified for the job, anyways. Honestly? You should be thanking me. I did him a favor.”

 

“So a position for director just happened to be vacant?”

 

“I- Well. Well,” Seongwoo looked away, “Maybe I helped… Make it… Vacant.”

 

“You killed the director?!” Daniel cried in shock. Once again, the other diners (and some of the staff) in the room turned to gawk. The idol snapped his mouth shut.

 

Ong rolled his eyes,“More like he killed himself-”

 

“You made him commit suicide?!” Daniel asked in a lower voice.

 

“Wh- No, you freak! He had a heart attack. For fuck’s sake, Daniel what am I, a monster?”

 

The idol raised his eyebrows, giving him a look as if to say, “Uh, _yeah_.”

 

“I… Alright so I can’t really debate that point, but- he smoked like a pack a day, _and_ he was an alcoholic. Not the nice, functioning kind either. He was like super old, too. It was totally gonna happen anyways. Either that or cirrhosis of the liver. I didn’t have time for that, though.”

 

“You’re despicable.”

 

The devil wiggled his eyebrows and grinned. “Actually, I’m Seongwoo. Nice to meet you.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> // This work is unedited and will contain increased grammatical and spelling errors.

“Ugh,” Daniel scoffed as he scrolled down his Twitter feed. “Ugh,” He said again. He rolled his eyes so hard that he thought they’d fall out of his head.

 

“Oh, I like that one,” Seongwoo commented cheerily, looking over Daniel’s shoulder.

  
“Wh- Fuck! Come on, man,” Daniel elbowed the other. The idol had risen bright and early to make his flight to Busan. Apparently, his manager had to be there, too. He’d been booked months prior to do a shoot at Haeundae Beach, and he felt grateful that his schedule had at least remained in tact so far.

 

“What?” Ong tittered. “It’s a good picture of us!”

 

“It’s a picture of me… With you in the background,” The idol pouted.

 

“Is that why the caption says, ‘for fuck’s sake now even his manager is hot’?” Satan wore an impish grin ear to ear.

 

“You realize that ‘manager’ doesn’t mean ‘stalker’, right?”

 

“You’re not denying that I’m hot, though. Checkmate,” Seongwoo said with a chuckle. Daniel wished badly that he could strangle the man. Knowing him, he’d just laugh it off and make some quip about how kinky it was.

 

Things had gone “normally” for about a week since Seongwoo aka Satan aka Lucifer aka the bane of Daniel’s existence had stepped into his manager role. Aside from the needlessly sassy man shadowing him, his day to day life went on as if he didn’t have Lucifer shadowing him. There’d been no talk of demons and nobody else had dropped dead for the advancement of the devil’s agenda. Given the situation, Daniel had to consider it a victory (albeit a small one).

 

Daniel suppressed yet another groan as he scrolled his feed and saw another string of pictures. They were recent - taken just half an hour prior, actually. He’d heard camera shutters snapping from check-in to security, and he knew he shouldn’t be surprised. Still, his fanbase’s odd affinity for “the new hot manager” frustrated him.

 

“Aw, look, that one’s from today!” Seongwoo cooed, completely unperturbed by the other’s irritation. He rolled his eyes and locked his phone. The devil frowned, pouting, “You’re no fun.”

 

* * *

 

“Good, good,” The director droned on.  Daniel strained not to squint. Between the flashing cameras and the glaring sunlight, he could barely see. He was fairly certain he’d go blind by thirty at the rate he went. Still, as always, he remained steadfast and focused.

 

“That’s great, Daniel,” The director said. He turned to regard the small army that photo shoots necessitated, “Alright everyone, let’s take a ten! It’s hot, so stay hydrated…”

 

Daniel’s shoulders instantaneously sagged with relief. He trotted over to the tent that had been set up, grabbing first drink-like object he could reach. Though the temporary freedom of a break came as a relief, he still felt an insurmountable pressure on his shoulders.

 

Seongwoo had been present all afternoon. Thankfully, he’d managed to keep his mouth shut. Not one lewd comment had been made, and nobody died. However, that didn’t stop Daniel from feeling watched. The devil had, surprisingly, behaved himself up until that point, but the idol didn’t hold onto the hope the grace period would last long.

 

“Granola bar?” A soft voice pulled Daniel away from his Lucifer-filled thoughts. Daniel turned, faced with a woman of small stature. He tried to recall a name, or who she was. Coming up blank, his best guess was that she was one of the photographer’s assistants. She extended the offering of the granola bar shyly.

 

“Thank you,” Daniel said, accepting the sustenance gladly. He made a mental a note to remember the girl and give a nice comment to the director. Even little kindnesses ought to be rewarded, he thought.

 

“No problem. You’re in the hot sun this whole time, I don’t know how you do it,” She replied with a small smile.

 

Daniel shrugged, “It’s what I love.” That was the whole truth. Sometimes he’d look at the grand scheme of things and think about how ludicrous his life had become. He still wouldn’t trade it for anything. Not even his mortal soul.

 

Despite his best efforts, Daniel’s thoughts strayed again, as did his gaze. The young staff girl’s eyes followed the idol’s, and she smiled.

 

Oh no.

 

“Are you getting along with your new manager?” She asked. Daniel almost pitied the girl. How was she supposed to know that mentioning Satan, his newly hired stalker, was a sore spot?

 

Gritting his teeth, Daniel forced out a smile and a genial response, “It’s a bit of an adjustment. I had my last manager for five years. I guess I am so used to him, I can’t help but miss him, right?”

 

“Ah, I suppose that makes sense. Well, he speaks very highly of you.”

 

“Ha ha, does he?” Daniel imagined the kind of “high speaking” Seongwoo did about him. It involved a lot of lewd remarks.

 

“Yes! Maybe I shouldn’t tell you, but… In the short time I talked to him, he praised you a lot. He said you had a wonderful soul and that you work really hard.”

 

Ha, Daniel laughed inwardly, “beautiful soul” - even when speaking to regular people he had to be cheeky.

 

“I hope to live up to such expectations,” The star replied genially. In reality, he had a few other things he wanted to say about his so-called “manager”.

 

“You’re doing very well, and even though he is new he seems to be adjusting quickly, too.”

 

“Yeah, he, um, he transitioned into the role very well,” The reply from the idol was genuine. It didn’t come from as kind a place as his tone implied, but what she didn’t know wouldn’t hurt her. As for the devil: Daniel secretly hoped that Seongwoo - through some weird power - could know that he was subtly talking shit.

 

“So it seems! He’s also very well-spoken for such a young professional- I- I mean not that you aren’t… A young professional. I just- I mean most people who do that are a bit older, aren’t they?” Something in the girl’s tone sounded slightly off. Daniel feels a spur of repulsion upon realizing what it was. The poor thing had a crush on him. While it would have given Daniel immense joy to openly drag his manager, he couldn’t. Instead, he took what he considered the more classy approach.

 

“I guess you’re right. He takes on a lot of responsibility. I kind of feel bad taking up so much of his time.”

 

“Surely he can’t mind much. You’re a superstar, it’s an honor working with you!”

 

“Maybe he doesn’t, but… His girlfriend- fiancee. Y-yes. Recently fiancee. I just- I think about their future, too.”

 

For the shortest of instances, the staff girl’s face faltered. Good, Daniel grinned inwardly. He wanted to say “trust me, it’s for your own good” but determinedly kept on with his charade.

 

“O-oh, I suppose it is difficult balancing work and home life,” The staff girl replied genially.

 

“Well, I’m sure he’ll figure it out,” Daniel wanted to move on as quickly as possible. “Maybe he’ll quit-” If Daniel was lucky, he’d go back to hell from whence he came. “-when they get married. No matter who my manager is, I will try my best to work with them. That’s all I can know for certain.”

 

“Well, we think you’re doing a great job. Just keep it up!” With her chipper encouragement and a polite goodbye, the girl skittered off. Daniel huffed, taking a bite out of the granola bar. He felt strangely bitter after the awkward conversation. He just wanted to shake everyone who’d been praising Seongwoo and tell them: he’s literally the devil! He is the embodiment of evil! The worst entity in existence!

 

Of course, to the staffers and fans, he wasn’t any of those things. Daniel had been keeping an eye on Seongwoo since he’d gotten “hired”. He’d kept close watch, making sure the man didn’t do anything to jeopardize his career or safety. Contrary to what Daniel had thought would happen: he’d been a complete professional (at least on the job).

 

In front of other people, Seongwoo acted (ironically) like an angel. He spoke only with the most courteous, appropriately formal language. Even with his professional manner, he somehow managed to put everyone at ease. His eyes twinkled and his smiles charmed all who had the privilege of witnessing them firsthand. It nauseated Daniel.

 

Even so, the idol couldn’t help wondering: would he feel the same way? Looking back on Seongwoo’s actions - his enchanting smile, his cute laugh - Daniel realized: he absolutely would. If he’d met Seongwoo as just a man, he’d probably be whipped. Knowing that burned his insides more. Daniel frowned to himself, willing the director to call everyone back to their places.

 

* * *

 

Daniel sighed as he shut off the shower. Steam filled the bathroom and fogged the mirror. Finally. Time for some rest.

 

The shoot at Haeundae had gone smoothly. It almost bored Daniel how well things had gone. Nothing happened. Nothing. All of the equipment had functioned perfectly. Everyone involved had been friendly and competent. The world turned as it always had, and nobody seemed to notice that something was completely, profoundly wrong.

 

“Knock. Knock.”

  
The idol patted himself dry, an eyebrow quirking up. Was it hotel staff? Throwing on shorts and a tee, Daniel headed toward the door. A chill ran down his spine when he crossed from steamy bathroom into air-conditioned hotel room. His head reeled with possibilities: hotel staff? Security? Crazed fan girl? Daniel’s eyes widened upon seeing the familiar silhouette at his door.

 

Seongwoo stood there looking, well, normal. He’d changed out of his button-down and trousers into sweats and a hoodie. His hair’s perfect comma style had faltered slightly through the course of the day. One hand held a tablet, the other rested in his pocket. Daniel’s entire brain lagged for a second. He had to remind himself: his manager wasn’t knocking on his door. Satan was.

  
Satan was?

 

“What are you doing?” Daniel asked. His mood began to take a steep downward turn.

 

“Checking in on you,” Seongwoo replied casually, as if he wasn’t the sovereign ruler of the underworld.

 

“What? Why?” Daniel’s brows knit into an expression of confusion.

 

“Because it’s my job.”

 

The idol rolled his eyes, “Okay, really? What, so you’re just a dedicated working man now? I’m honestly shocked you didn’t just- just poof into my room or whatever.”

 

“Poof?” Seongwoo snorted, “You think I just wave my wand like a fucking fairy and _poof_ places? For shit’s sake, Daniel I-”

 

“What do you want?” The idol asked.

 

“You know what, for an idol you’re really not friendly. Aren’t you supposed to be nice-” Daniel swiftly swung the door closed, but Seongwoo caught it, “- So rude!”

 

Daniel huffed, grumbling in a low voice so nobody could hear,“Shouldn’t you be demon hunting or something?”

 

“Actually, that’s what I wanted to talk to you about,” Seongwoo’s lips upturned into a grin. The idol reluctantly opened his door, not bothering to check if the devil followed him in.

 

Daniel plopped down onto his bed and crossed his arms indignantly. He looked at Satan expectantly. So much for a good night’s rest. He figured it would only be a matter of time before things would have to get weird again.

 

“So,” The idol asked, “What’s up? Did you find one of your people? Here to tie me up and dangle me on a fishing pole in front of some hellspawn?”

 

Seongwoo raised his eyebrows and shrugged, “I’m not opposed to tying you up, but-” Daniel’s dirty look made the devil pause for a moment. “Wh- You walked into that one!” Ong exclaimed, pointing at the other accusingly.

 

“Well?” Daniel threw up his hands. He’d barely had time to get out of the shower, and drops of water still ran down the back of his neck.

 

“Is that any way to talk to your manager?”

 

“You are not my fucking manager.”

 

“Actually, I am-”

 

“Oh my God,” Daniel pinched the bridge of his nose. “Just- Just tell me what you want to tell me!”

 

“How am I supposed to say anything when you keep rudely interrupting me?”

 

“ _I’m_ the rude one!? You are literally the devil. Literally. Litera-”

 

“I heard you the first twenty times, and I have to say, I’m ashamed. Didn’t think you were one to stereotype. Thought you’d get to know a guy before-”

 

“Before what? Before I got sent to hell? Or violated by some underworld creature?”

 

“You know-” Suddenly, Seongwoo paused. His brows furrowed and he tilted his head in puzzlement. “Wait, why was I here again?”

 

Daniel buried his face in his hands. This was it. This was his life. His real, goddamn life. He’d spent thirteen hours roasting on a beach with cameras jammed into every nook and cranny of his vision. After finishing that long day, instead of resting, he’d been assaulted by not only an idiot - an _evil_ idiot. A malicious moron who, apparently, couldn’t even remember why he’d decided to ruin a perfectly good evening by barging in.

 

“Demon hunting,” The idol groaned from behind his hands.

 

“Right- right, yes, that. May I take a seat?” Seongwoo asked, gesturing to the desk chair nearby. Daniel found the man’s priorities about politeness beyond screwy.

 

“Do you care if I say no?”

 

The devil shrugged, “Fair point.” He sat down, wheeling the chair close to the other. Suddenly, his voice dropped into a more serious tone. “So, what are you thinking?”

 

“What?” His abrupt sincerity spooked the idol out more than his flirting.

 

“About this- about everything. The lifestyle adjustment, I guess,” The devil’s dark eyes fixed on the idol’s with a penetrating gaze. If Daniel didn’t know any better, he would have thought the man genuinely concerned. Too bad for the man called “Seongwoo” - Daniel didn’t buy it for a second. The projected care merely fueled the idol’s already burning suspicion.

 

“What about it?” Daniel asked, his lips unconsciously pouting with irritation.

 

“Are you okay?”

 

“Are you really asking me that question?” The idol retorted, his tone clipped.

 

“Fine, fine- how not okay are you, then? Like- very not okay or just… Mildly not okay?”

 

“I… I’m not… In pain, I guess,” Daniel felt weird answering the question. It was like when the pediatrician would ask him if he was sexually active while mom was in the room. He was damned either way.

 

“Sorry, let me ask something more pointed,” Seongwoo nibbled on his lower lip in thought. “Do you think this arrangement - given the circumstances - is working adequately?”

 

“You mean having you paid to be my stalker?”

 

“I asked if it was working, not if you liked it.”

 

The star rolled his eyes, “It’s not _not_ working.”

 

“Thank you,” Seongwoo said, “For taking five minutes to answer a question you could have answered in five seconds.”

 

Daniel grinned facetiously, his tone full of venom, “And thank you for taking me prisoner and insisting on making me wildly uncomfortable.”

 

“Aw, buddy,” Seongwoo faked being choked up, “You’re so welcome.”

 

“Did you come to my room just to ask me how I’m doing?”

 

“No, no, I just wanted to teach you how to find demons is all.”

 

That piqued Daniel’s interest. Though he despised almost every part of what he’d gotten involved in, he couldn’t help it. At the most raw, base level of humanity, one could not deny the reality that demon hunting is badass. Period. The idol figured that even if his entire ordeal turned out to be a coma dream or bad trip, it would at least be a fun one. In the back of his mind, a gnawing thought reminded him that he’d probably get screwed by the end, anyways. Daniel decided: if the end is gonna be a bad one, why not have fun on the way there?

 

“So, what? You scour churches that specialize in exorcism? Do you do like… Divination? Oujia boards?” Daniel asked.

 

The devil quietly tapped on his tablet for a few moments, shaking his head, “Uh, not quite. Oujia boards are bullshit, I will tell you that.”

 

“Fuck if I know. Do I look like the oujia type?”

 

“You look like _my_ type,” The devil snorted.

 

“I’m just- I’m ignoring you, from now on. I’m ignoring your weird compulsion to hit on me.”

  
“Is it really that weird? You’re hot. Mystery solved, Nancy Drew,” Seongwoo’s eyes stayed fixed on his tablet as he spoke.

 

“You just shamelessly throw yourself at every person you think is attractive?”

 

Satan chuckled again and shook his head, “I don’t need to throw myself at anyone.”

 

“So you just do it recreationally.”

 

“Are you gonna stop me?”

  
Daniel rolled his eyes, deciding to change the subject, “Fine, no oujias. What else is there…” He looked up in thought, “Runes? Divination- not that I know what that really is. Crystal balls? Or is it like a human skin thing- like, will we know by looking in their eyes or do we look for a mark or- or-”

 

“Okay- No, it’s not nearly that deep,” Seongwoo titters, “You nerd.”

 

“Wh- I am not a nerd.”

 

“Mhm, sure,” Seongwoo teased as he tapped on his tablet, “The truth is, what it requires is a little bit of detective work.” Daniel leaned over on the bed to see just what Seongwoo alluded to. Large block letters spelled out a sensational headline boldly:

 

“BIGFOOT GOT MARRIED TO A HUMAN?”

 

“Oh my God-” Daniel could hardly get the words out before doubling over with laughter. “I can’t- I can’t believe I thought you were s… serious!” He fell back onto the bed, clutching his stomach.

 

“Please sit back up when you’re done,” Seongwoo said flatly, “I may not need sleep, but I still enjoy it.”

 

“Are we- are we gonna go get bigfoot?” The idol asked sarcastically between huffs and puffs of air. “Or- or is it his wife?”

 

“You’re like a kid, you know that? Your attention span goes up in flames after like five minutes.”

 

“B-but, I need to know,” Daniel sat up, a wide grin on his face, “Did bigfoot marry a human?”

 

“Okay, new strategy,” Seongwoo declared, “I am going to continue talking-”

 

“-Wait was bigfoot the husband… Or the wife?”

 

“-and pretend you aren’t. Sound like a plan?”

 

“I bet the ceremony was beautiful.”

 

“Great plan, okay! My point is, you need to look out for weird shit happening-”

 

“Like an inter-species marriage?” Daniel wiggled his eyebrows.

 

“No, but-” Seongwoo tapped a link on the tabloid’s home page, loading another article, “-there are certain things you can look for. You don’t know them now, but I’ll teach you- well, if you can listen, anyways.”

 

“Fine, fine,” The idol finally conceded. A course in how to identify demons did sound fairly interesting to him - even if delivered by Satan. “Like what?”

 

“Well, to put it simply: you gotta look for weird shit,” The devil gestured to the magazine open on his tablet, “Hence the stupid magazines. Any self-respecting mainstream tabloid is gonna be covering actual news or- well, people like you. Demons are only obvious in the worst of cases. Those might be your exorcisms or ‘but he seemed so nice before’ type of serial killers. Might. There’s also a chance that they’re just disturbed humans.”

 

“How do you tell the difference?” Daniel asked.

 

“Trust me, you can tell. It’ll be real easy. Point is: this is where demon hunting starts.”

 

“Okay, so, like- what type of  crazy shit is indicative of a demon?”

 

“Well, it’s not that easy. It’s not like demons will always behave in a certain way,” Ong shrugged, “You just have to think about it. A good indicator is a change in character described in people like…” He opened another article. In large letters the heading read:

  
“INCHEON WOMAN CLAIMS BOYFRIEND LEFT FOR A WORK DINNER AND A DIFFERENT MAN RETURNED!”

 

Daniel narrowed his eyes at the presented “evidence” beneath the article. Along with before and after pictures that look (unsurprisingly) similar, the woman and even relatives had written testimonials. The man had a roundness to his face, but most distinct were his plush lips. He wasn’t half bad, though Daniel had to admit: he preferred the “after”. The only real discernible difference was a lack of glasses in the “after” photos, along with a smile.

 

The bleeding heart testimonials read equally as frivolous. The girlfriend bemoaned the loss of her “caring, considerate” boyfriend; she claimed the “other man” had a completely different temperament. While her boyfriend had always been sweet and demure, the new person had a gruff demeanor. The family stories were more of the same, they all claimed he’d always been reserved prior to his business meeting. Apparently, after the “swap”, he’d turned into a risk-taker who liked drinking, gambling, and skydiving. These were things that the “real one” would never, ever have done.

 

Daniel chortled at it, “Sounds like he just stopped giving a fuck. Or he joined one of those cults that makes people feel superficially confident.”

 

Seongwoo pursed his lips, dissatisfied, “Damn, no name. Cowards. This is the type of shit to look for, though. Demons inhabit human vessels, so it’s not surprising when their temperament isn’t exactly a convincing match. Stories like this happen all the time. If it’s not some alleged swap, a lot of people get catfished by demons- personality-wise, that is. Shit, demons’ll inhabit a vessel while ignoring the pre-existing memories and really fuck the order up.”

 

“So… We can find demons by checking for ‘swapped’ identities or something?”

 

“Find them? Hell no, but it’s a start,” The devil shrugged. His eyes widened upon seeing the sidebar, and he tapped the link with haste. “Oh, now this… This is definitely a sign.”

 

Daniel squinted as he read the loading letters. Upon loading, the title read in large, black letters:

 

“HIGH SCHOOL BOY’S BODY WASHES UP IN POND. THIRD DISCOVERY IN A THAT POND THIS YEAR. HAS MEGA GATOR MIGRATED TO FRESH WATER FROM SEWERS?”

 

“Mega gator?” Daniel couldn’t help scrutinizing the name.

 

“Yeah that’s a rough one. I hope they didn’t pay someone to come up with that- is so not the point!” Seongwoo quickly reoriented his attention before getting distracted. Again. For a deity, he managed to be a massive scatterbrain at times. Daniel thought it a strange quirk. “Ignore the gator,” Satan instructed, “And pay attention: three bodies washed up in the same pond?”

 

“That’s… Strange. You think it’s a demon?”

 

“Yeah, most humans are smart enough not to dump bodies in the same place after the first one is discovered.”

 

“I guess. So, what about this screams demon? Besides apparent stupidity, that is.”

 

“Alright, well, to be frank about it: nothing will ever scream demon. Ever. They are masters at hiding. This is just… A start. Until Google or Amazon nails some demon detection software- right that wasn’t the point. I guess what makes this indicative is the M.O.” He scrolled down a bit to elaborate. Daniel scanned the text pointed out to him:

 

“...third drown victim this year… of similar age… police are looking for suspects… body in similar condition to the previous two… same school… candlelight vigil…”

 

“They were killed the same way,” Daniel remarked.

 

“And their bodies were found the same way which was…” Seongwoo scrolled further down, even highlighting the relevant text:

 

“...deep bruising found around the wrist that gives the impression of a large human hand… no other sign of injury or struggle...”

 

“It’s like they were… Held under water by their- by their hand?”

 

“Daniel, if I held your hand, do you think I could drown you like that?”

 

“Hell no,” The idol replied. He fantasized about using his spare hand to punch the guy in the face. It was a soothing mental image.

 

“Stuff that just doesn’t make sense - that’s what we’re looking for. A lot of shit is stupid and sensational, but it makes sense. When things don’t, you can often link it to a demon. I mean- perhaps the demon acting out hasn’t violated their contract, but it’s always worth a look.”

 

“So, it’s a starting point.”

 

“Yup.”

 

“What do we do once we narrow it down?”

 

“We find a name or a face,” Seongwoo responded, his voice once again taking on more earnestness. “That can be via google, asking around, pictures… Whatever works. Unfortunately, these publications don’t often disclose their sources. It’s kind of a pain in the ass- don’t worry, though, I’ll do most of the tedious shit. That’s my job.”

 

Daniel nodded. He didn’t dare say it, but he felt grateful for the consideration. It was small but unnecessary. He’d take Satan’s graciousness where he could get it. The idol had a hunch that not many received the privilege of the Dark Lord’s consideration. He wasn’t necessarily happy to have said privilege, but he’d take it.

 

“So, um, should I read these things before I go to bed or something?” He said, gesturing to the sensationalist nonsense displayed on the tablet.

 

“It’d be helpful and it’d expedite the process,” Ong said frankly. “You, um, you want this to go fast, but don’t make yourself sick working too much. It’ll get done, I promise.”

 

Thank God, Daniel thought. His idea of a good time definitely didn’t involve palling around with Lucifer. The quicker he could have the entire ordeal wiped, the better. He wanted to count the days.

  
Nine contracts.

 

Only nine.

 

It would be a pain in the ass, but he could do it. Daniel assured himself it would be over soon.

 

“Okay. So, we get a name or a face. Then what?”

 

“Then- well,” Seongwoo chuckled sheepishly, “Then we get to the stuff you probably imagined.”

 

Daniel quirked an eyebrow, “Like what?”

 

“Well, once I have enough info on a demon, I can locate them. It takes some, um, doing. You’ll need to help. Just a little, though. I have to go through a…”

 

“A…? A what?”

 

“A…” Seongwoo’s pupils darted away from Daniel, almost as if he was embarrassed. Daniel couldn’t begin to imagine why. Then he remembered it was Satan to whom he was speaking. The man probably had a script full of tricks to play on him. “A ritual.”

 

“A ritual?” The idol frowned. Awful images of goats with slit necks and people with cloaks around a pentagram came to mind. Daniel’s eyes went wide and his stomach knotted.

 

“Wh- Don’t give me that look. I’m not gonna kill a goat or eat a puppy,” Seongwoo pouted.

 

“You eat puppies?!”

 

“I just said I wasn’t- You know what, yes, Daniel. Yes, I will eat a puppy. Is that what you want to hear!?”

 

“No!”

 

“You know, we were doing so good with the staying on task thing and-”

 

“You were the one who brought up dead puppies,” Daniel cried, mortified, his eyes wide.

 

“Daniel if you do not stop talking, I will make you stop talking.”

 

The statement resonated with the idol strongly. Given his previous experience with being controlled like a puppet, he had little desire to experience it again. Ever. He still held a grudge against hypnotists after the incident though there hadn’t even been one present.

 

“That’s a good boy,” Seongwoo joked.

 

The puppy implication wasn’t lost on Daniel, and the idol’s face scrunched in irritation at the remark. He opened his mouth to respond but quickly remembered what Seongwoo had just sad. Unable to speak, he assured his facial expression communicated just how unamused he was.

 

Trying not to sound too pleased with himself, the devil continued, “Anyways. The ritual will put a mark on a demon- like a scent or a flare almost. It’ll leave a trail and make them detectable to me. Of course, I’m… Well, I’m me, so… That’s where you’ll come in.”

  
Daniel nodded affirmatively. He wanted to ask what the hell “where you’ll come in” meant badly. He refrained, deciding he’d rather die than invite Satan to make him do weird shit again.

 

“We can elaborate on that later, but basically you’ll meet them. Corner them while they’re alone- somewhere isolated, of course. Weaken them, then I’ll come to collect. Got it.”

 

The idol nodded again.

 

“You can talk again,” Seongwoo said, a grin teasing the edges of his lips.

 

“Can I go to bed now?” Daniel asked.

 

“So direct! I love a man who knows what he wants,” Like a flip had been switched, Lucifer reverted back to his irritatingly cheeky self.

 

“I want you to go away,” The idol said bluntly.

 

“No fun,” Seongwoo said with a chuckle.

 

Just as Daniel opened his mouth to retort, the man was gone. The idol frantically searched his room for the following minute. He checked behind his curtains and inside the bathroom - just to make sure.

 

* * *

 

The soft clink and clack of silverware on plates filled Daniel's ears. A steady hum surrounded everyone in the hotel's restaurant. The idol prayed the waitress would return with his coffee already. It was too damn early to be sitting across the table from the literal devil. Something about the man's presence sucked the life out of Daniel. The idol wasn't sure if it was a psychosomatic thing or weird Satan powers. He liked to believe it was the latter.

 

On the contrary, Seongwoo looked bright-eyed and bushy-tailed - as always. Even though the hour had barely turned to five, he'd already dressed for the days in a pastel button-down and primly pressed jeans. The man didn't need glasses, but it didn't stop him from wearing them consistently. It reminded Daniel of a Clark Kent versus Superman thing. Except Superman was evil. And Clark Kent was also evil, just with glasses. The irritatingly attentive manager leaned forward, a genial smile on his face as he spoke.

 

"So, how did you sleep?" He asked, his tone dripping with facetious friendliness.

 

"I slept," He replied.

 

"Okay, fine, no conversation, got it. You know your schedule for the day, right?"

 

Daniel quirked an eyebrow in confusion, "Uh... Yeah. The flight's at eight, then I have to go to the, um, the shoot. You know the one."

 

"Yeah, yeah the activewear one," Seongwoo nodded.

 

"Why? Has something changed?"

 

"No, just, um," The devil nibbled on his lip in thought for a moment, "You're gonna have to stay on top of it for a while."

 

"As opposed to... What, exactly?"

 

Ong glanced around for a second, making sure nobody was within earshot, "I'm gonna have to manage you remotely for a little bit." His tone was serious.

 

"Wh- Remotely?"

 

"Yeah. You know: email, text, phone call, SNS, dick pi-"

 

"You really can't help yourself, can you?" The idol groaned. That elicited a snort from the manager.

 

"Yes, being hilarious and sexy is a burden," Satan replied with a straight face.

 

"I can't with you- I- wait," Daniel's brain moved significantly slower without any sort of caffeine. It had taken him a minute, but suddenly the reality presented to him clicked into place. "Remotely as in... Away from me?"

 

"Well it'd be pretty stupid to manage you remotely from right next to you."

 

"Yeah. Why do that when you can stalk me instead?"

 

"Exactly!" The devil tittered. "Flirty banter aside, I figured it wouldn't be a problem since you, well-"

 

"Hate having you around? Yeah. I do. Also, we are not flirting."

 

"Keep telling yourself that," Seongwoo replied with a smirk.

 

Daniel rolled his eyes, moving on, "Okay, can you explain why you're working remotely?"

 

"I have some leads I want to look into."

 

Daniel looked at Seongwoo blankly for a minute. He genuinely had no idea what the hell the man was talking about. When his sleepy, addled brain finally caught up, his eyes lit up.

 

"Oh! Oh," He nodded knowingly. "Oh- okay. Okay, cool. Right. Do I, um, do I need to do... Anything with that?"

 

Seongwoo shook his head, "I'll contact you with any relevant updates. Until then, just keep being your superstar self. I'll call and text with technical updates, and we've got an assistant filling in, too. You should be fine in terms of actual management. I've already set up your calendar to give you text alerts."

 

"Oh, um, thanks," Daniel muttered. It felt weird how one second the devil would act like an impish shit, the next he'd be earnest and even considerate. The idol wasn't sure which side to believe was really him, or if either really was him? Was it possible for Satan to have one personality, or did he inherently have many sides?

 

"If you need anything, though, you can just call," The devil offered. His words were surprisingly devoid of any lecherous implication.

 

"Right," Was all Daniel could say. He didn't know what else to say.

 

"Your americano," The waitress's announcement of coffee sounded like music to Daniel's ears. The idol graciously accepted it. He took a long whiff, letting the aroma of freshly brewed espresso soothe his soul.

 

Seongwoo transitioned into managerial mode, going over the fine points of the day's schedule prior to his leave. Daniel heard, but didn't really listen. He was too distracted from observing the other's quirks. The idol didn't know what he expected of Satan. What surprised him the most was how normal Seongwoo often seemed. The devil's glasses slid down his nose like anyone else - and he'd nudge them up to adjust them. For a deity of sorts, the man had an impressive clumsy streak. Daniel had watched him break a coffee machine, a couple of chairs, and a couch over the course of a few weeks. His stomach was, apparently, kind of sensitive, and he always kept an emergency stash of yogurt drinks nearby. When given the chance to wear casual clothes, Seongwoo always opted for something oversized. Once on an airplane, Daniel overheard Seongwoo sniffing at The Notebook. _The fucking Notebook_. If the idol didn't know any better, he'd have genuinely thought Seongwoo an ordinary, hard-working man.

 

But, he wasn't normal.

 

No amount of charm or projected sincerity could change who he was. What he was.

 

Daniel sternly reminded himself of that.

 

* * *

 

Daniel glanced down at his phone’s reminder for what felt like the hundredth time. The whole “remote managing” thing gave him almost as much anxiety as the hands-on experience. He realized just how helpful it was to have a person physically present to tell you things. Digital scheduling and tracking left too much potential for human input error. The idol lived in constant fear of forgetting something or being at the wrong place at the wrong time.

 

“DANCE PRACTICE 4:3OP - EOD” It read. Whenever the end of day truly was, Daniel knew he was going to be dancing until that point. He wondered what the hell he had dance practice for, anyways. It had to be remedial, unless the company had suddenly decided to spring a new single on him without him knowing. Still, Daniel knew how to dance damn well. He could do almost any of his songs’ choreographies blindfolded. One of his concert dances _literally_ had him blindfolded.

 

The star stood anxiously in the lobby of his apartment complex. He always preferred waiting in the safe security of the indoors. Another downside of his lifestyle was the insane lengths people went to just to see him. That was why when he initially didn’t recognize the black car pulling up, he hesitated to move.

 

Daniel glanced at his phone, then back at the car. The time was right, but the car? Not once had Daniel ever been picked up by a blacked out Bentley. Even he - Korea’s top idol -  wouldn’t dream of buying one of those things. Just as Daniel stepped back, ready to wait a little longer, a familiar presence emerged from the driver’s side door. The idol’s eyes blew wide open, and his heart sunk.

 

“Oh no,” The idol muttered to himself. It’d been a couple of weeks since he’d last seen his “manager”, and seeing him again exerted an indescribable pressure on Daniel. All kinds of weird thoughts ran through his head. What exactly had the dark angel been doing during his leave? Why show up now, without real warning? He wondered if Satan stole the car. Or killed the original owner. He’d probably excuse it by saying something like “he was gonna die anyways” (like everyone doesn’t). Seeing the devil himself approach the complex’s lobby made his heart twist around even more.

 

The “manager” looked different. He’d apparently shed his usual insistence on looking adorably nerdy for a far cleaner look: a black suit with a white shirt. Daniel wonder who the devil employed to tailor his clothes. Whether done by some otherworldly atelier or an unsuspecting human, the person did an impeccable job. With his hair swept off of his forehead and a flawlessly fitting suit, Seongwoo looked more like the devil than he had in awhile. Daniel suddenly felt weirdly underdressed in his sweats and hoodie.

 

“What the hell is that?” Daniel muttered when Seongwoo had gotten close enough to hear him.

 

Seongwoo looked at the other confusedly, “What the hell is… What?”

 

The idol groaned, “What do you mean what? The car,” He gestured to the two hundred million won parked outside. “Who did you kill to get that?”

 

Satan’s curious face fell into a flat expression of annoyance and rolled his eyes. Without a word, he walked back through the doors of the complex toward the car. Huffing, the idol followed at his tail. Though still incredibly suspicious, Daniel got into the passenger side. The sheer richness of the car’s interior made him terrified, like breathing too aggressively would scuff something.

 

The car started moving, and neither spoke a word. Sitting in silence, Daniel watched dazedly as city buildings rolled by. He had to concede that the probably stolen car made for a comfortable ride. The quilted leather seats were cushiony, and the engine’s soft purr nearly lulled Daniel sleep. Everything about the ride felt surreal. Riding in a rich car with Lucifer on his way to a practice. After not seeing him for weeks, the idol had nearly forgotten his manager was sovereign lord of the underworld.

 

Suddenly, it occurred to Daniel that he still didn’t know where he was going. He had more than a hunch that his destination wasn’t a dance studio.

 

“Where are we headed?” Daniel asked, breaking the spell of silence between them. They’d been in the car for close to twenty minutes without saying anything.

 

“What, you didn’t buy the ‘dance practice’ thing?” Seongwoo replied with a chuckle.

 

“Nope. Unless we’ve changed studios all of a sudden. This is about demon hunting, then?” It still felt super weird to say that. He wondered if he was due to wake up from a coma some time soon.

 

"Yup," The devil replied. He kept his eyes on the road all the while.

 

"What's up with the 'EOD' thing? How long is this gonna take? Have you found anyone?"

 

Seongwoo side-eyed the idol and shook his head, "Don't think too hard about it. You'll get home safe and sound, I promise." Somehow, the assurance only made Daniel feel worse.

 

"Can you at least tell me where we're going?" The idol asked.

 

"My place," The devil replied, eyes back on the road.

 

"Wh- Your place? Like, your house?"

 

"Yeah. Something like that."

 

"What do you mean 'something like that'? Do you live there or don't you? Or is it someone else's place that you- that you-"

 

"Yes, Daniel. I killed someone, stole their car, and live in their home," His tone sounded facetious, but Daniel couldn't discern his level of seriousness. It wouldn't surprise Daniel to learn that he had, in fact, done exactly as he'd said. Seongwoo easily sensed the idol's apprehension, and he pouted, "Kidding- I was kidding!"

 

Daniel shrugged, "I don't trust you."

 

"Wh- Why? Why would you not trust m- oh, right. Devil. I'm the devil."

 

"Why do you sound like you just forgot that?"

 

"Well, sometimes I do. You're a hard man to manage, you know! Everyone's obsessed with you. Obsessed!"

 

"No shit," Daniel said, looking pointedly at the other. "How far is this place, anyway? I mean, 'your' place."

 

"It's a bit of a haul. Take a nap if you want, it'll be awhile."

 

The idea sounded sublime to Daniel, and he started to nod off. However, another abrupt thought woke him up with a jolt.

 

"Wait- you're not gonna take me to- to hell, are you?" The mental image of hellfire and whatever the hell "Flint, Michigan" was filled his head. The idea of a place more aggressive than an American city terrified him.

 

Seongwoo grinned ear to ear, glancing at the idol, "If I said yes, what would you do?" Daniel's heart stopped, and he physically recoiled, cowering as far away from the driver's seat as he could. The devil looked incredibly amused which only made the captive idol feel worse. "Calm down, superstar. You'll find out soon enough. Until then, you should probably get some rest. It might be a lot for you to take in."

 

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?"

 

"I'm taking you to my sex dungeon. I'm gonna tie you up and-"

 

"Nevermind," Daniel cut him off before the conversation took an inevitable turn toward the perverse. Luckily, Satan didn't push the issue. The steady drone of the car's engine soon worked its magic on Daniel once more. His eyelids drooped, and he started to nod off. The scenery rolling by began to smudge and smear until it eventually faded to black.

 

* * *

 

“What the…” Daniel’s mouth fell open. He couldn’t manage another syllable, too shocked by what he was looking at. He’d woken up at the devil’s prompting a few minutes earlier, and suddenly he felt like he’d left the country.

 

Hidden behind a thick line of evergreen trees was a house bigger than one Daniel had ever seen in his life. He’d seen hotels smaller than the place. It looked like a castle from one of those western period dramas, or maybe more like one of those haunted houses from a horror movie. A curved cobblestone driveway cut through a flawlessly manicured yard. Arches held up by huge columns formed a grand entrance to greet those approaching the mansion. Dark stone gargoyles sat atop each one, looking down menacingly at those who dare pass. In the middle of the yard sat a fountain, the centerpiece of which was a towering angel with a wingspan that looked as wide as a city block. Lucifer, no doubt. As the black sudan rolled closer to the miniature palace, Daniel could see a wide garage in the distance. The car came to a halt in front of the grand entrance. Even upon hearing the opening and shutting of the driver’s door, Daniel stayed firmly in place.

 

Seongwoo opened the passenger side door, grinning,“You can get an even better look from outside of the car, I promise.” Daniel, eyes still wide open, slowly stepped out. His head darted around as he attempted to take in every detail of the gothic architecture. The only word that came to mind was “damn”.

 

The devil sighed and rolled his eyes, “I bet this is what Helen Keller would have looked if she got the ability to see. You gawk, I’ll guide. Come here,” He took the other’s arm, pulling him into the manse. Daniel didn’t even care. He blindly followed as Satan guided him inside.

 

Everything inside looked straight out of some movie set. The furniture looked as opulent as it did uncomfortable. The woods used inside were dark, dark, dark; the color scheme consisted of dark red, dark green, dark blue, and sometimes, for a splash of contrast: dark brown. Almost every room that Ong walked him through had some kind of chandelier, and the halls were lined with fancy sconces. Coats of arms decorated the walls of some rooms and suits of armors others. An impressive amount of old weaponry hung in various rooms, along with a few too many animal skulls for Daniel’s liking. Perhaps the coolest detail, in the idol’s opinion, was the stained glass. It was everywhere: on top of arched windows, on the side of door’s. Each one seemed to depict something different. Some were busy, full of tiny flecks of colored glass, others had only one or two different colors.

 

Seongwoo had guided Daniel through long hallways and a few common areas until they reached sitting room that looked out onto a backyard. The word “backyard” typically brought up thoughts of barbecues and cute little fenced in areas. Lucifer’s backyard could probably host a hundred family barbecues. Simultaneously. Giving each family ample room to spare. And perhaps even their own fountain.

 

The two walked outside, and Ong led Daniel around toward a far side of the yard. They walked for nearly ten minutes before reaching what Daniel guessed was a garden shed. Once again, the use of typical colloquialisms seemed unfitting. Though it may have functioned like a shed did - for storage - it looked like a warehouse.

 

“Stay put for a sec,” Seongwoo told Daniel. The devil slipped into a small door to the side for a few minutes. Loud, mechanical grinding sounded out from the massive loading doors of the warehouse-like building, and Seongwoo stepped out.

  
Daniel wanted to ask a question,“Wh… Wh… Wh…”

 

“Take your time, Helen,” Ong said with a chuckle. He stood back with the other, watching the giant door of the warehouse open, revealing what was within.

 

Surprisingly, it looked like nothing. Just wide, open space.

 

“What the hell?” Daniel finally managed a sentence.

 

“In,” Seongwoo gestured for the other to follow. Daniel, at a loss, could think of nothing other to do than what he was told.

 

To one side of the warehouse, a variety of equipment sat: riding lawn mowers, tractors,  utility vehicles and trucks with plows. On the other, a long work counter lined the wall. Tools hung on the wall, and a few had been littered across the massive worktop. At the back bales of hay sat stacked atop one another. Seongwoo led him toward the workbench.

 

“Alright, just, just stand there for a second,” Ong said. Daniel shrugged exasperatedly. As if he was gonna do anything else. The devil stepped back and studied the other. He walked around Daniel, looking him up and down thoroughly.

 

“What are you doing, Ong?” Daniel groaned.

 

“I think… The shoulder’s gonna be best,” Seongwoo muttered, stroking his chin.

 

“What?”

 

Seongwoo ignored the idol, pacing back to the workbench and opening one of the drawers, after rifling through the contents, he grabbed something and threw it at Daniel.

 

“Put that on!” Ong said. Daniel barely caught the thing. He furrowed his brows at what had been thrown at him: straps of some sort. A belt?

 

“What the…”

 

“The loops. Put your arms through the loops,” Seongwoo instructed. The idol’s face scrunched into an expression of confusion, but he obliged. He put his arms through the two large leather loops. The black straps sat snugly on his shoulders, meeting between his shoulder blades in a cross. Just beneath his armpits, two pouches hung. “Not a bad fit,” The devil commented.

 

“What, uh, what am I accessorizing for?” Daniel asked.

 

“Come on, man. Have you never watched a cop show?”

 

“What?!”

 

“It’s a holster. You know, for guns.”

 

“Oh, yeah, right, of course,” Daniel facetiously nodded, “Right, of course I know about gun holsters. Holsters. For the guns I always carry- who the fuck do you think I am?”

 

“Well apparently I thought you were cooler than you are!” Seongwoo retorted. The idol rolled his eyes.

  
Suddenly, his eyes widened in realization, “Wait- guns? Why… Why am I getting a holster for- for guns.”

 

“To carry bottles of holy water,” Ong said matter-of-factly.

 

Daniel nodded, “Oh, yeah. That makes sense, I guess-”

 

“Nah I’m just kidding. It’s guns,” Seongwoo chuckled. A look of terror crossed Daniel’s face.

 

“What the hell, Seongwoo?! I’m an idol not a policeman!”

 

“Okay, Daniel, calm down. Do you really think I’m gonna let my best shot at catching these slippery assholes kill himself in a gun accident?”

 

“To be honest, I don’t really know what to think about you. Ever.”

 

Ong ran a hand through his hair, “The answer is ‘no’, Daniel. I will not let my best shot at catching these guys just kill himself in a stupid gun accident. They won’t even be loaded with real bullets.”

 

“Wh- They won’t?” Despite his fear of the handheld death devices, Daniel felt a little bit disappointed hearing that.

 

“Okay, can you, like, let me explain things for once? Like, please. Just- just sit down, and let daddy Ong tell you what’s gonna happen.”

 

“Ew. Don’t call yourself daddy.”

 

“Yeah I kinda regretted that the second it left my mouth- anyways! Just,” He patted the workbench, “Just sit down and let me tell you what’s going on here.”

 

“Fine,” Daniel huffed, hopping onto the workbench. He crossed his arms and quirked an eyebrow, prompting Satan to explain. The devil strode over to another section of the workbench, withdrawing a bulky black handgun from one drawer and a small box from another. He returned and started to speak.

 

“Demons are tricky, okay? You might be able to lull them into a false sense of security, but ultimately, you’re gonna have to weaken them before I can jump in.” He ejected the empty magazine from the handgun, loading a few bullets in. From a distance, Daniel couldn’t see them well, but he could tell they weren’t normal bullets. They looked transparent, like they were made of glass or something similar. Ong continued.

 

“These guys are _not_ gonna wanna go willingly. So how, you may ask, are you going to slow them down?” He slid the magazine back into the gun until it clicked into place, “You’re gonna use one of these.” He held the gun out, holding it by the barrel as he extended it toward Daniel. The star reached out hesitantly, wincing as his fingers touched cold metal. He didn’t dare let his fingers anywhere near the trigger. Instead, he turned it over in his hands cautiously, making sure the barrel always pointed away from him.

 

“Like I said, those aren’t real bullets. I mean, they’ll hurt anyone like a motherfucker, but they’re not lead. They’re probably more comparable to… Airsoft pellets. Or paintballs. They’re plastic capsules filled with a highly concentrated blessed water. Here, follow me-” Seongwoo walked toward the back of the warehouse. Daniel followed with a vice grip on the gun’s handle.

 

The devil lead the idol to a spot in the middle of the warehouse, far from any walls or objects. There was a line of tape on the ground where they stood, and directly in front of them sat a stack of hay.

 

“This is the makeshift shooting range,” Seongwoo said, gesturing to the hay bale. “Go ahead, give it a shot. Trust me, the hay won’t be offended.”

 

“I- I- I-” Daniel looked down at the gun he grasped firmly in his hand, “I don’t know where to start.”

 

Seongwoo sighed, “Come on. I know you’ve played arcade games at least once in your life.” He paced over to the idol, taking a spot close behind him. Daniel felt the other’s body closing in behind his and his heart rate tripled.

 

“Wh- What are you-”

 

“Calm down,” Seongwoo said, his voice tickling the idol’s ear. The devil’s hands gently took hold of the idol’s wrists, lifting them, “I’ll show you the stance.” He said. He gingerly urged the other to put his hands in front of himself.

 

The devil instructed calmly,“You need to start with a solid foundation. Feet about shoulder width apart. Now, which finger do you think is pulling the trigger?” He asked.

 

“Uh, r-right index?” Daniel said. He swallowed the lump in his throat and nibbled on his lower lip. He couldn’t quite pinpoint what he felt, which kind of annoyed him. On one hand, he felt terrified, on another: excited. Mixed in with all of that was the tension and pressure he felt exerted from a very handsome, evil man pressed up against him. Life had really gotten weird.

 

“Okay, so step your right foot back,” Seongwoo tapped Daniel’s right hip and Daniel obliged. “And your other foot is gonna step toward the target. Not too much, though.” He tapped the other hip. Once again, Daniel followed. “Now, stick your right arm- your shooting arm - straight out. Your left arm is gonna be bent at the elbow. This is your support arm. Use both hands to grasp the firearm. No slumping, you need to be firm, and don’t lean back either.” Seongwoo corrected Daniel’s stance here and there. When he thought it adequate, he brought his hands to Daniel’s wrists once more.

 

“I want you to breathe nice and even,” He said. It amazed the idol how different Seongwoo seemed when he was teaching him. He’d gone from mischievous bastard to cool and instructive. It felt weird to see such a respectable side from sin personified. The idol did as he was told, trying his best to take steady breaths.

 

“Good,” Seongwoo said, “Now look down the sight of your gun- along the top of the barrel. Just keep breathing, okay.”

 

Daniel kept breathing. In and out. In and out. Stable. Even. Calm.

 

“You’re doing well, Daniel,” Seongwoo’s praise came out low. It made Daniel shiver slightly, but he willed himself to ignore it. “Now, whenever you’re ready, I want you to slide the index finger of your right hand onto the trigger. Don’t press down, just let it rest there.” Seongwoo used his own hand to gently guide Daniel’s finger toward the trigger guard. “Eyes forward,” He urged. Daniel shuddered, his finger twitched on the trigger. He tried to focus on breathing and following the other’s prompting.

 

“Just let your finger rest there. When you really shoot, you need to keep steady breathing. You breathe in and squeeze the trigger while you exhale. You’re well built, so you shouldn’t have any issue dealing with kickback from most handguns. As long as you maintain a good stance, your body will be fine.”

 

“R-right,” Daniel muttered. Suddenly, everything was becoming way too real. All the talk about demons and contracts and the devil seemed so silly to him. It sounded ludicrous: demon hunting with his pal Satan. The idol half thought it was still some elaborate prank. He’d been waiting to wake up from some extended dream or a coma.

 

Now, he was looking down the muzzle of a gun at a bale of hay in some giant mansion’s warehouse-shed. The weapon was loaded with bullets he would actually use to apprehend demons. Real demons. He wasn’t reading a book or watching a TV show. This was his life.

 

Satan stood almost flush behind him. His breath tickled the tender parts of Daniel’s neck, and the quiet hum of his instructions made the idol shudder. He couldn’t help but think of a few other ways that this encounter could go, given different circumstances. He considered hitting up a therapist after all was said and done.

 

“Do you think you can pull the trigger, Daniel?” Seongwoo asked.

 

“I- I think I can,” Daniel replied weakly.

 

“You don’t need to right this second. You don’t have to at all right now if you don’t feel ready, but… When you come face to face with a demon- Well, they’re gonna play dumb at first. But, eventually, they’ll show you their true colors. They always do. When that happens, you need to be ready.” Satan took his hands off of Daniel. He backed away, and Daniel felt like he’d cooled down twenty degrees. The devil stood to the side with crossed arms, watching on cooly.

 

Swallowing hard, Daniel did as he was told. He breathed in, then out. In, then out again. He took aim, and pulled the trigger.

 

“ _Bang_!”

 

“Wh- Daniel! Come on! _Really_?” Seongwoo yelled in annoyance and threw his hands up. Daniel eyed the man in wonder. Deep red rapidly seeped  into his once pristine white shirt. The idol held the gun downward, tilting his head as he watched blood stain the other’s torso. Much to his dismay, Seongwoo was not on the ground, writhing in agony or straight-up dying. He just looked really, really unamused.

 

Daniel shrugged, “I thought it was worth a try.”

 

Seongwoo rolled his eyes, “Why the _fuck_ would I give you a weapon that could kill me? You literally couldn’t kill me if you tried!” Red stopped spreading, and the small bullet wound in the man’s chest started to close.

 

“Well, I mean- no hard feelings,” Daniel tried to cover his ass, “You’re not hurt or anything, so let’s just forget the whole homicide attempt, okay?”

 

“Okay, I can’t really blame you, but- something did get hurt in this process, okay?”

 

“What?”

 

“My shirt!” Seongwoo pointed frantically at the massive splotch of red on his torso, “I’ll have you know this is _Armani_.”

 

“Ugh,” Daniel rolled his eyes, “Fine, I’ll buy you a new one.”

 

“Damn right you will,” Seongwoo crossed his arms indignantly, “Clearly, you have no reservations about shooting living, breathing human beings, so go- go shoot the target okay?” He huffed.

 

“I mean, if these bullets really don’t hurt you, I don’t see why I can’t practice on you,” Daniel snarked.

 

“Uh, I was bleeding, idiot. Obviously, they do hurt. They just can’t kill.”

 

“Fine, whatever, I’ll practice. Just- just stay over there,” The idol said, a slight snap at the edges of his tone.

 

“As opposed to where? In front of the muzzle of the gun again?”

 

“As opposed to- to- you know,” Heat pricked the idol’s cheeks.

 

“Oh?” Seongwoo sounded amused. _Too_ amused. His lips curled up into a smirk, and he took a step closer, “Do I know?”

 

Daniel averted his gaze from the guy with the bloodied shirt strolling toward him. The guy he was definitely not attracted to. At all.

 

“Shut up,” He said gruffly. He tried focusing on the bale of hay at the back of the warehouse. “I’ll shoot you again.”

 

“I do like them feisty.”

 

Daniel scoffed, “Ugh. Doesn’t it bother you at all that you’re hitting on someone who’s like thousands of years younger than you or whatever?”

 

Seongwoo snorted, “I- Wh-what?!” His nose scrunched as he laughed.

 

“I don’t know how fucking old you are. You’re Satan, aren’t you as old as, like, the world or some shit?”

 

“Oh my- That’s- that’s what you think, huh?” Ong said between laughs.

 

“I don’t know your fucking life story, man!”

 

“I’m-” The devil could hardly get words out between laughter, “I’m twenty-three.”

 

Daniel rolled his eyes, “How stupid do you think I am?”

 

“Wh- No, I’m serious,” Ong finally started to come down from his hysterics, “I’m seriously twenty-three.”

 

“Yeah, maybe that- that body. How old are you really? Thousands of years old? Millions?”

 

“No, I’m really twenty-three.”

 

“Mhm. Okay, I’m done hearing this-”

 

“Wait!” Seongwoo cut him off, “Wait…” He bit his lip, looking away as if considering something. He spoke again, this time more seriously, “I really am twenty-two.” He looked Daniel in the eye, his expression almost pleading.

 

“Why do you care so much if I believe you?” The idol wasn’t buying it for a second, “It really can’t be _that_ funny for you to fool me.”

 

“I- Look…” Seongwoo pressed his lips together, “Hm… Mortal terms, mortal terms…” He muttered to himself.

 

“What are you on about now? Can I just- Should I be shooting or-”

 

“Listen,” Seongwoo held a hand up, “Just, just- gun down, toward the ground like you’re doing. Here, put the safety on- there, yeah, like that. Hear me out for a second.” He seemed somewhat serious which unsettled Daniel. “You’re mortal. You’re a human, I imagine that - assuming you really believe and understand that I’m Satan - you’ve got a lot of questions. Am I wrong?”

 

“Well…” To be honest, the man was right.

 

Daniel _did_ have tons of questions. Tons. He wanted to know all sorts of stuff. What was it like being Satan? He said bullets hurt; so could he feel physical pain? Did he really look like Ong Seongwoo or did he have another form? What did he mean when he called hell an “aggressive Flint, Michigan”? Where _is_ Flint, Michigan? If he existed, did that mean God did, too? What other weird powers did he have? Were there lots of types of demons or were they all the same? Of all the comics and TV shows that featured demons and the devil - which was most accurate? Which was his favorite?

 

“You’re not wrong,” Daniel said.

 

“Thought so. I mean I _could_ just mess with you, but I have a feeling you’re just gonna get to a point where you don’t shut the fuck up. And, honestly, since you’re gonna forget about all this anyways, I see no reason to keep stuff secret.”

 

“Like… What kind of stuff?” Daniel asked, intrigued.

 

“Like… My name is really Ong Seongwoo. I was born in Incheon, in the year 1995. My blood type is A, and I’m a virgo.” Daniel looked like he was about to tell Seongwoo off, but he continued speaking before the other could interject, “I was not born the devil. I became the devil.” He said, completely serious.

 

“You… What?” Daniel suddenly latched onto every word that came out of the other’s mouth. Things just got way more interesting.

 

“Okay, okay… Mortal terms, mortal terms,” Seongwoo muttered before speaking more, “Right! Okay, so in terms that you can… Kind of comprehend as a human… I guess people on Earth all think that Satan is just, like, a guy right? Or a minotaur. Or an angel. I dunno, but, there’s this idea that Satan, the devil, Lucifer, Beelzebub, Asmodeous… There’s lots of names, but there’s this common idea that it’s one entity. One soul, one being running the show, right?”

 

“I… I guess,” Daniel replied.

 

“Yeah that’s totally wrong. Satan is… In mortal terms you can think of Satan more as, um, a role. A job. It’s a job.”

 

“A job?”

 

“A job,” Seongwoo nodded, “That’s what it is.”

 

“It’s your job to be Satan?”

 

“Hm. I guess you could say Satan is the… Job title? My job is- well, it’s more complicated than that.”

 

“Your job is to spread misfortune, right? Or sow evil within peoples’ hearts?”

 

Seongwoo frowned, “So many are led to believe.” He looked dejected which fueled Daniel’s curiosity further.

 

“But… Is that the truth?”

 

“The truth is, well- That’s not relevant to the point!” He quickly picked up where he left off, being upbeat and explanatory, “My point is that I was born human. I really am twenty-three. You could say that the job was ‘offered’ to me a bit less than a decade ago. It’s definitely a demanding gig, but obviously there are some sick perks. Immortality and supernatural abilities are pretty dope.” It shocked Daniel how flippant the man could be about taking on a literally life consuming responsibility.

 

“Wait,” The idol pondered aloud, “Who offered you the job, then?”

 

“Well, Satan did. The Satan of the time, anyways,” Seongwoo shrugged, “I guess they’re the ones who decide who their successor is or whatever. I dunno, boring,” He waved dismissively, “Enough of that, let’s shoot stuff!”

 

“Wha- You can’t just leave me with that! I still have so many-”

 

“Nope! Question and answer time is done for today. We’ve got bigger shit to deal with.”

 

Daniel pouted but accepted defeat. He figured it was probably for the best. Thinking of the devil being a job position as opposed to an entity provided enough for his brain to process, anyways.

 

“Fine, whatever,” He lifted the gun up again, lining the sights up with his eyes. He remained fixed in his static stance for a few seconds before adding, embarrassed, “U-um can you remind me of exactly how to stand again?”

 

Seongwoo chuckled, “I thought you told me to stay over here.”

 

“You don’t have to touch me to teach me! That’s illegal in educational institutions, you know!”

 

“Like I said,” Ong grinned, “Feisty.”

 

Kang Daniel never thought he’d spend an evening in a gothic mansion’s warehouse with the devil learning how to shoot, but that was precisely what happened. After gaining confidence merely shooting the weapon, Seongwoo taught him more intimate details of the gun’s anatomy and structure. He showed him how to load and unload it, and informed him that a clean gun was a well functioning gun. Daniel practiced taking the weapon in and out of his holster quickly. He dropped it a few times, but thankfully Ong had been prudent enough to instruct the safety stay on. Years of dancing had honed Daniel’s agility and reaction time fairly well, and he picked up shooting quickly. His aim wasn’t perfect, but for having less than a day of practice, it shaped up well. Time flew by, the sky grew dark outside and the temperature dropped drastically. Before either of them knew it, PM swapped back into AM.

 

“Shit,” Daniel said when he finally checked his phone, “We’ve been at this for six hours?”

 

“Woops,” Seongwoo replied, “Sorry, I am not a good manager. You have to wake up in like five hours, don’t you?”

 

The idol griped, “Yeah. Thanks for reminding me. Fuck. How long does it take to get a cab out here?”

 

“Oh, no, no, no. If anything I’d give you a ride. I dragged you out here, and you’re working on my behalf, it’s the least I could do.”

 

“Thanks…” He dreaded the long ride back already.

 

“But, um,” Seongwoo nibbled on his bottom lip, timidity staining his voice as he uttered the following words, “Look. I’m, like, your manager, right? We’re supposed to be together all the time anyways, and, um… This mansion has a ton of rooms, so, you could totally stay here, too. I-if you want.” Daniel reeled back in surprise. Seongwoo had invited him to stay the night, but there wasn’t even the tiniest bit of sarcasm or perversion in the offer at all. It seemed almost… Shy?

 

At any other time, Daniel would have answered with a resounding “hell no”. He looked at his phone again: “12:37” it read. Gnawing on his lip, he played with the consideration. Seongwoo didn’t have an incentive to fuck with him in that instance; that was the logic he used to rationalize his response.

 

“A-are you sure? I really don’t want to be a burden-”

 

“I insist,” Seongwoo held up a hand, “Only if you want, though. You can even stay in a bedroom on the opposite side of the mansion from me, if that makes you comfortable.”

 

“I totally would, but to be honest, I’m afraid I’ll get lost,” Daniel turned around, eyeing the mansion through the wide open warehouse door.

 

Seongwoo laughed warmly; he whispered, “To be honest… Sometimes I still do.”

 

Daniel snorted. His eyes lingered on the other’s smile for a bit. Mostly because it was uncharacteristic to see the man express such genuinity. Definitely not because it was charming or cute. Definitely not cute.

 

“Just put me somewhere where I won’t get lost,” The idol requested.

 

“I’ll put you somewhere near my room. If you need directions you can harass me,” Seongwoo nodded out the door and started walking.

  
Daniel followed, joking, “Fine, just don’t pull any weird Satan shit while I’m sleeping, okay?”

 

“Hmmm. Can’t make any promises,” Seongwoo jeered back.

 

The two quipped on about the weird things they’d do to mess with the other in their sleep as the walked back to the mansion. As Seongwoo had promised, he let Daniel stay in a room down the hall from the one he called his own. Ordinarily, the old looking gothic victorian interior would creep Daniel the hell out, but he was too tired to care. He stripped to boxers and plopped into the plush bed, quickly passing out.

 

* * *

 

“Knock. Knock.”

 

A gentle rapping on the door roused Daniel from his sleep. He blinked blearily in an attempt to collect himself. Looking around, a shock of fear jolted him. He’d woken up in a massive bed with blood red sheets of silk. A chandelier hung from the vaulted ceiling, and portraits of strange, brooding people decorated the walls. The idol retraced the previous day’s steps.

 

He’d gotten picked up by Satan in a nice car. They had driven for some unknown amount of time. Shortly after waking up, Seongwoo had shown him around the place and given him shooting lessons. Panic gradually subsided when Daniel concluded why he’d woken up in a victorian gothic manor.

 

The idol frowned. He knew damn well who was on the other side of the door and didn’t feel keen on inviting him in. Had he not been afraid of getting lost in the massive place, he would’ve ignored the person beyond the door.

 

“Come in,” Daniel groaned. He rubbed his eyes as Seongwoo opened the door. The man looked irritatingly polished for five in the morning. He’d already dressed and gotten ready for the day. His Clark Kent-esque visage of innocence made its return, complete with round glasses and prissy button-down.

 

“We need to hit the road in, like, half an hour. Think you can fit a shower in before then? I can have breakfast ready in ten,” He spoke casually, no implication staining his tone.

 

“Uh, yeah,” Daniel eyed the bundle in the other’s arms. Towels? “But my clothes…”

 

“I, um, might have some stuff that fit you,” Seongwoo set the stack of towels and - apparently - clothes on a nearby wardrobe. “Follow me.” He didn’t wait before stepping back into the hall.

 

Clumsily, Daniel scrambled after the other. He still felt too tired to process anything properly, but a shower sounded nice. He prayed it wasn’t some weird ruse. The only thing that gave him security was the fact that Seongwoo probably wouldn’t hesitate to fuck with him. Probably. The idol felt grateful that his trip to the bathroom wasn’t some expedition across the castle.

 

The bathroom looked as intimidating as it did impractical. A massive clawfoot tub sat in the middle of the massive room, surrounded by ornately painted tile. Daniel counted about five different types of tiles, each arranged in patterns on the walls and floor. Morning sunlight trickled in through the stained glass of the window, projecting colorful shapes on the floor. It took Daniel an embarrassingly long amount of time to figure out the shower head contraption. Clearly the tub hadn’t originally had a shower; an additional fitting had been put on later. It occurred to Daniel that actually taking a bath in the massive basin would have been heavenly. Unfortunately, he had neither the time nor desire to bathe in Satan’s spooky mansion.

 

“You done?” Seongwoo asked from beyond the door. Daniel rolled his eyes. Am I twelve? He wondered.

 

“Yeah. I’ll be out in a second,” The idol replied, stretching lazily. He started to miss the whole “remote manager” thing.

 

When he finally emerged, damp hair stuck to his forehead and a frown had fixed itself onto his face. Seongwoo wordlessly led the other down a tall staircase until they reached what Daniel guessed to be the ground floor. The two walked down another long hallway and turned a few corners before finally reaching the kitchen. Like every other big room in the castle-mansion-whatever-it-is, the space was massive. Counters stretched around the perimeter with pots and pans suspended above. Daniel counted at least four ovens and three sinks, plus two gas ranges. In the middle sat a massive island with another pot rack hanging above it. Beyond the cooking area sat a small table. A plate with toast, grapefruit, and eggs had already been set out. Steam floated up from the mug of coffee next to it. Daniel yawned, striding over toward the table and plopping into his seat. He silently scrutinized the other as he did the same.

 

“You sleep okay?” Seongwoo asked.

 

“I guess,” Daniel shrugged. “Kinda passed out. Next thing I know you were knocking on the door. Feels like I slept for ten minutes, to be honest.”

 

The devil frowned, “Well, you should sleep better tonight. You can rest on the ride back, too.” He glanced at the wall, as if deliberately avoiding the other’s gaze. Did he feel… guilty?

 

“So, um, you said you had a lead, right? On one of the contracts? Need anything from me?”

 

“Not yet,” Seongwoo shook his head. “I’m still gonna work remotely for a bit. I’ll collect you when I do.”

 

“Hm,” Daniel responded with a dissatisfied grunt. He hated being told to wait. It’d make him feel better to know he was doing something. Especially considering the circumstances. The sooner his unwanted shadow disappeared, the better.

 

“Aw,” Satan’s tone turned sickeningly saccharine, “What’s the matter? You gonna miss me?”

 

The idol regretted even responding, “Fuck off.”

 

“You’re so cute when you flirt with me.”

 

“It’s too early for this shit,” Daniel groaned. He took a gulp of his coffee, hoping the rush of caffeine would do something to mend his oncoming headache.

 

“If you wanted a morning pick-me-up, you should’ve just told me,” Seongwoo purred, his lips turning into a cheshire grin. The implication somehow managed to make heat spur Daniel’s cheeks, and he hated it.

 

“You’re like an annoying, horny fly, you know that? Just- just buzzing around my head.”

 

“I’m serious. A quickie would probably improve your shitty mood,” Satan singsonged. “I’m telling you: you really need to get laid. And who better than the dark lord himself to show you a good time? I bet you’d get off real quick,” He snorted, apparently very amused at his own jest.

 

Daniel’s eyes narrowed at Seongwoo. The idol quirked an eyebrow, considering the man before him. He looked him up and down; he made sure to let his eyes take a very slow, deliberate trip along the slender contours of the man’s body. The idol even let his lips fall open just ever so slightly.

 

“Then do it,” Daniel dared the devil. “Get me off.”

 

Seongwoo laughed, “I- What? Listen I completely understand that I am- whoa-” His joking halted when the idol started advancing toward him.

 

“I said _do it_ ,” Daniel lilted; he got out of his chair and closed the space between them. Taken aback, the devil stood up from his own seat in alarm. Daniel backed Seongwoo against the wall, placing his hands on either sides of the other’s head. “You said you’d be quick, right? I’m kinda tense and wouldn’t mind fucking your pretty mouth.”

 

Ong’s eyes went wide, “Wh- Ha- You’re really funny, mortal.” He replied, trying to play it off. “Now if you could just- if you could juuuus-” The devil’s brain activity abruptly halted when Daniel brought a hand to caress the other’s face delicately. Seongwoo swallowed nervously, and his pupils shifted around.

 

The idol grinned ear to ear, “What’s the matter?”

 

“You shouldn’t be doing this with me.”

 

“No?”

 

“If people see us like this, you’re the one that’s gonna pay. Not me.”

 

“We’re in a private mansion. The curtains are closed. So unless someone’s stashing cameras in here, I think we’ll be fine.”

 

“Daniel, seriously? You… You don’t want to do this,” Seongwoo still couldn’t look the idol directly in the eye.

 

“What if I really, _really_ do?”

 

“This isn’t like you.”

 

“I thought you said you liked them feisty. I think I know what’s really happening here, though,” The idol took hold of the devil’s chin, forcing their gazes to meet. He started to notice tiny details he hadn’t before. Seongwoo’s chest rose and fell erratically with anxious breaths. His eyes were darker than onyx, and he had a pronounced adam’s apple.

 

“Are you braindead or something?” Seongwoo asked. He tried to sound annoyed, but his voice quivered slightly.

 

Daniel smirked, satisfied with his theatrics, “I knew it. I knew it!” He clapped in amusement.

  
“Wh- What are you-”

 

The idol backed off and started laughing, “You’re all talk, no action.”

 

“Wh- I- What just because I don’t want to fuck you you think- you think I-”

 

“The devil is a fucking prude!” Daniel fell back onto the wall, and his eyes reduced to slits as he laughed about it.

 

“I don’t have to prove shit to you. You couldn’t handle me!” Seongwoo retorted defensively.

 

“Oh?” The idol sat up with a grin, “Try me.” He patted the spot on the wall next to him jokingly.

 

“I think not Mr. Idol.  You need to be coherent to do your job. One night with me and you’ll be comatose for the next week.”

 

“Yup, you’re a prude.”

 

“For fuck’s sake-”

 

“It’s okay. There’s nothing to be ashamed of, just admit it.”

 

“I don’t have shit to confess to.”

 

“I just find it funny that you’re so buttoned up considering how much you blatantly sexually harass me.”

 

“Buttoned up? Please,” Seongwoo rolled his eyes and scoffed, “I could fuck you seven ways to Sunday. For seven days straight. I can twist you any way you want, name a position-”

 

“ _You_ name a position.”

 

“You’re a fucking child.”

 

“Can you even name a sex position without fainting?”

 

“Without faint-” Ong laughed wryly, “Where should I even start? Mission... Position?”

 

Daniel’s lips pressed shut immediately. He waited. And waited. And waited. However, no additional comment came out of the devil’s lips. No correction. He nearly cried right then and there at the pure hilarity of the irony.

 

“C-can you run that by me again?” Daniel finally managed to ask; his voice sounded small, strained from suppressing a laugh.

  
Seongwoo, convinced that the idol had gone delirious, rolled his eyes, “Missionarr... Idiot. You know- the most- most basic sex position there is. Where one is on top and the other is… The other is…” His ears turned pink, “Why are you looking at me like that?!”

 

“Did- did you mean,” Daniel snorted, “The missionary position?”

 

“Y-yes, that! Obviously I meant missionarr...”

 

“The what?”

 

“The- the missionar..y...”

 

The idol jumped up jauntily, happily pacing over to the devil. Face creased into a beaming smile, he repeated himself.

 

“The _what_?”

  
“What are you-”

 

“It’s called the _missionary_ position. How the hell do you struggle to say that? Everybody knows that, even-” Epiphany dawned across the idol’s face, and he looked at Seongwoo, his jaw dropped. “Holy shit.”

 

Seongwoo’s mouth pressed into a thin line, and he crossed his arms indignantly, “Are you done having a stroke?”

 

“Holy _shit_ ,” Daniel said again. “Don’t tell me- no.” He shook his head. “No. I- I can’t.”

 

“Are you done? Like, is this over?”

 

“You’re such a prude,” The superstar looked immensely satisfied with his deduction. “The devil is a fucking prude.” Seongwoo’s eyes shot wide open and his lips started stuttering to make protests.

 

“I- I-”

 

“Seongwoo just- just look me in the eye and tell me you’re not a virgin,” Daniel looked at the other discerningly. Pink tinted the devil’s face as their gazes locked again. His lips parted, but once again, nothing left. He bit his lower lip and looked away momentarily.

 

“I am _not_ a virgin. I’m just… Celibate,” Ong answered through gritted teeth, and that Daniel believed. The idol imagined that, to be so put off by sex, the man’s sex-life must’ve been miserable in his past life. He almost pitied the guy. Almost. Seeing Satan all flustered at the missionary position of all things is too damn funny.

 

“This is- Oh my God I can’t- I can’t breathe! It hurts!” Tears blurred Daniel’s vision as he crumbled down onto the ground.

 

Seongwoo crossed his arms. Daniel could tell that he was watching and that he wasn’t happy. He didn’t care.

 

“Just eat your fucking breakfast,” The devil huffed.

 

* * *

 

“Everything alright?” Jiho asked, an eyebrow quirked. The producer had always been like a big brother to Daniel. The two meshed pretty much since the second they’d met. Daniel had been looking forward to his studio session with his big bro for weeks. They had plans to shoot shit and collab on a single, nothing crazy - just something fun to surprise the fans and be creative. However, by the time he’d gotten there, his brain had been so muddled, he could hardly enjoy the company.

 

“What?” Daniel asked, sliding the headphones off of one of his ears.

 

“Dude, you’re like, out of it,” Jiho said frankly. He raised his eyebrows inquisitively through the glass barrier of the booth.

 

“Huh? I’m fine. Sorry, am I not delivering it right?”

 

The producer looked up, biting his lip in contemplation before answering, “No, no. I mean- I guess you’re fine. It’s just… You’re sleeping on it a bit, you know? You’re not yourself. Like, I know you can give it more energy than you are right now. I’m just tryna figure out why…”

 

“Why what?”

 

“Why you’re like this. I’m serious: is something the matter?”

 

Daniel frowned. Things were quite the opposite, actually. His schedules had been going according to plan, his reputation remained stable and high as always, and his fans were as loyal as ever. Even better: he hadn’t heard from his “manager” in a week. Everything had gone perfectly in the past seven days. Yet… Something didn’t feel right. Sure, his life had gotten weird in the past few weeks, but relative to that weirdness, the current level of weirdness felt pretty benign. He felt like he ran toward the finish line of contentment, but every time he got closer, the line would move further away. Why couldn’t he finish the damn race?

 

“You moody cause that hot piece of ass you call a manager isn’t around?” Jiho laughed. A spike of irritation stabbed Daniel in the chest, and he had to suppress the urge to tell the guy to fuck off. He loved Jiho, but for shit’s sake, not him, too! Apparently, his hyung picked up on the irritation. Like any typical older brother, he used it to drive the stake further. “Aw, come on. Don’t look at me like that! He’s hot. Shit, I’d do him and I don’t even roll that way.”

 

Daniel groaned loudly, and he hoped it sounded extra loud through the producer’s headphones, “Not you, too.”

 

“What? You can’t seriously tell me you hired him for merit,” The older chuckled. Actually, he was hired because he killed someone. As much as Daniel wanted to say that, he didn’t.

 

“He did, though!” Daniel insisted. “Apparently he has some degree in business management and, uh, accolades from a big telecom company.” He felt incredibly stupid pretend-hyping his fake manager. Life had gotten so, so strange.

 

“Mhm,” Jiho smirked. “Where is he, anyways? I’m so bummed, everyone’s been talking about him and I don’t even get to meet him.”

 

“He’s on leave. Family stuff, I guess.”

 

“Oh, that’s rough. You should send him a gift or something.”

 

Daniel preferred the idea of sending him back to hell.

 

“Yeah, that’s, um, a good idea,” Fuck that. “Hopefully he’ll be back soon. It’s nice to have him help keep me on track.” He lied.

 

“That’s the only thing he helps you with?” Jiho asked, an eyebrow raised.

 

“Hyung!”

 

The producer clapped, laughing loudly, “I’m just kidding! Kind of.”

 

“ _Hyung_!”

 

“What? Your staff is there to help you in _any way_ possible-”

 

“Hyung you sound like a huge scumbag right now, you know that?”

 

“Bro, you’re a huge star and you’re hot. It’d be his honor to-”

 

“Stop!”

 

“To-” Jiho snorted.

 

“Stop talking- please play the track!”

 

“To service you,” The producer barely finished before crumbling down onto the soundboard with laughter. It occurred to Daniel that Jiho and Seongwoo would probably get along very, very well. Still, with Satan’s supposed celibacy, he wasn’t gonna be servicing anyone anytime soon. Not that it bothered Daniel.

 

“I will pay you money to stop!” Daniel groaned.

 

When Jiho finally contained his laughs, he wiped a tear from his eye. Still grinning, he nodded at the rapper with approval.

 

“See, that’s better.”

 

“Huh?” Daniel no longer understood Jiho’s enigmatic thought process.

 

“You are. You’ve got some color in your cheeks finally. You’re, like, awake.”

 

I’m annoyed is what I am, Daniel thought; “As opposed to what?”

 

“I dunno you were feeling kinda… Kinda dull. Half there,” Jiho shrugged. He grinned again, “Guess that cute manager can cheer you up even when he’s not around. You sure you don’t miss his company?” He waggled his eyebrows.

 

“I will give you any part of my wardrobe you want to stop talking about him,” Daniel replied, pinching the bridge of his nose.

 

“Even the Balenciaga shirt?”

 

“Which one?”

 

“The orange one?”

 

“I will give you any part of my wardrobe - except the Balenciaga - to stop talking about-”

 

“Alright, alright. God, you’re such a hardass today. Okay, I’m gonna count down and we’ll start from the top, okay?”

 

Fucking finally.

 

“Yup,” Daniel nodded. Internally, he wanted to scream. Unfortunately, the only person Daniel felt comfortable cursing at without a filter was - ironically - Seongwoo. Though he despised it, Jiho was right.

 

Talking about Seongwoo did light a fire of sorts inside of him.

 

* * *

 

Daniel glanced nervously at his phone. He reread the message for the twentieth time.

 

“Seongwoo: It’s time. I need your help. I’ll pick you up at 9”

 

Nerves buzzed around in his chest. He wasn’t sure what to make of the entire thing. It was happening. It was really happening. Seongwoo had found their first mark. They were about to embark on a potentially dangerous mission. The text had come a few hours earlier, and for the small window of time Daniel had, he paced. He’d nearly paced a trench into his floor before finally descending to the lobby of his complex. He waited anxiously, keeping careful watch for the devil’s black Bentley.

 

Years passed - at least, it felt like they had - until the luxury car finally pulled up to the complex’s lobby. Daniel trotted out, not waiting for the other to usher him to the car. He practically threw the door open, throwing his body into the seat. Anxiety danced beneath his skin. His body vibrated with anticipation.

 

“Hey,” Seongwoo greeted the idol flatly.

 

“Hey,” Daniel said back.

 

“You doing alright?” The devil asked.

 

“I’m fine. And you? I mean- did you find our target?”

 

The devil nodded, keeping his eyes on the road as they began the long trip, “I’ve narrowed it down. This one’s local- Korea, that is. We’ll get specifics soon. Just… Like I said, I need your help.”

 

“O-okay. Um, what do I need to do?” Daniel nibbled on his lower lip nervously.

 

“Don’t worry about it now. Just take a nap or something for now.”

  
The idol’s brow furrowed in irritation. The man had taken ownership of his life, his mortal soul. He’d been dragged into helping him hunt down a bunch of assholes he couldn’t get himself. Yet he couldn’t even tell him what was going on? Daniel huffed, but opted not to press on the matter. The less they talked, the better (at least in the idol’s opinion).

 

Seongwoo’s attitude lacked the impishness he’d had before. There were no quips on the hour long drive to the mansion; barely any words had been spoken at all. Daniel wondered if it was because the man took his duty seriously or if it was because of what’d happened last time they’d seen each other. The idol knew he ought to have felt relieved, but something didn’t sit right. The thought that he’d somehow managed to out-creep the literal devil irked the idol. Even though it’d happened almost a week prior, he couldn’t help but replay the scenario in his head. Wide-eyed, skittish Seongwoo barely mumbling out the word “missionary”, the way his pupils danced around the room. His pretty mouth. For someone who constantly jabbed at the idol, Seongwoo definitely sucked at taking a joke. Daniel mused about it: maybe sexuality was a sore subject for him?

 

Suddenly, something snapped in Daniel’s head.

 

This was Satan he was thinking about. Satan. Lucifer. The devil. The guy who’d seen fit to trap him in some impossible contract and take him prisoner to use as a lackey in demon hunting. So what if he was “human” and “doing a job” - the guy still sucked. Nothing changed what he did and his dismissive behavior about the other’s life.

 

Daniel trashed his train of thought immediately, reminding himself that Seongwoo was a huge fucking jerk. Something about that thought weirdly comforted him. He spent the rest of the ride wrapped in the warm hug of his hatred for Satan.

 

The familiar treeline started to come into view, alerting the idol that it was almost time. Time for what? He hadn’t a clue. Satan’s mansion loomed on the horizon, looking even creepier in the low light of dusk. The crescent moon floated ominously above, its silver light gleaming down on the huge structure.

 

“Come on,” Seongwoo said when he parked the car in front of the main entrance. Those were the first words Daniel had heard from him in an hour. The devil didn’t even bother looking to see if the other was following him when he walked into the house.

 

Daniel kept close to Seongwoo’s heels as the man strode into the manse. Satan didn’t provide any exposition for the idol’s second visit. Instead, he headed determinedly toward his destination (wherever that was). The idol’s heart sunk as the house grew darker and darker. Nothing could stop him from feeling watched. Whether the paintings’ eyes or the long gone animals, something made the hairs on his neck stand up.

 

His fear only worsened when Seongwoo opened a door to an impossibly black corridor. Hearing the other’s footsteps echoing down the narrow passage, Daniel realized they were stairs. He clung to the railing, descending the stony steps behind Satan with haste. He’d seen enough horror movies to know what could happen if he didn’t stick close.

 

They walked and walked and walked.

 

The air around them cooled, and goosebumps stuck out on the younger man’s skin. He shivered, wondering when they’d finally reach the bottom of the stairs. Part of him felt tempted to ask, but he refrained. Seongwoo had been acting different all evening; something about the other’s behavior disinclined him from saying anything.

 

Finally, in the darkness, Daniel could make out something. Warm light seeped through the cracks of a doorway.

 

“Creaaaaaaaaaaak.”

 

The door opened loudly, its groans ricocheting off of the stony stairwell. Daniel squinted his eyes, dazzled by the sudden reemergence of light in his vision. The idol remained firmly planted at the threshold as the devil stepped in. When he’d adjusted, his blood froze. In front of him stood a room that looked to be something out of a horror movie.

 

Runes and scribblings had been scratched into every surface of the place. Markings much like those on his contract decorated it from floor to ceiling. Every single score and scrape glowed with a pulsing orange light. The steady rhythm with which the luminescence swelled and dimmed made the room appear to be breathing. On top of them, smearings resembling paintings had been smeared on haphazardly. Whatever had been used to create the depictions (Daniel prayed it was paint) dripped down sloppily. One of the shapes he recognized to be the head of a minotaur - just as Seongwoo had said. A few other symbols were recognizable: a triangle, a crescent moon and a star. Others were completely undecipherable. Myriad candles of every size and color imaginable lined the perimeter. Some sat nearly a meter tall while others had been reduced to mere nubs with a wick. Wax dripped down each one haphazardly, melting into a mess on the floor. Somehow, they were all lit, and their flickering light painted the strange place in an array of overlapping, inky shadows.

 

Daniel narrowed his eyes, glancing closely at the pentagram drawn on the ground. It appeared to be done in chalk, but something about it looked off. With a moment’s observation, he realized it wasn’t a pentagram at all. It had six points, not five. A circle of chalk contained the six-pointed star, and a brasier stood atop one of the points. Pungent, herbaceous smoke billowed up from the smoldering basin which no doubt held some combination of herbs and God knew what else.

 

“You can come in,” Seongwoo said. “I know how this looks, but it’s safe.”

 

Daniel couldn’t help but think the entire situation had been a setup to rip his mortal soul from his body. Unfortunately, he found himself cornered. He stepped in reluctantly, terror constricting his throat all the while.

 

“Creaaaaaaaaak.” “Slam!”

  
The door shut behind Daniel loudly, making the idol jump. His head whipped back, eyes wide with dread.

 

“Come here,” Seongwoo waved Daniel over to the center of the room.

 

“What, um, what exactly do I need to do here?” Daniel asked, hoping his voice didn’t betray just how afraid he felt.

 

“Just stick your hand out for me, okay?” Seongwoo’s voice sounded soft, soothing almost. The idol obliged, extending his hand to the devil. It trembled, making a wave of embarrassment mix in with fear and regret in the idol’s gut.

 

Seongwoo took something out of his pocket. Daniel only saw a quick glint of something catching the light. He quickly learned what the other had grabbed. Deftly, a knife sliced across Daniel’s hand.

 

“ _Shit_ ,” Daniel hissed, his face scrunching into an expression of pain. Hot, metallic liquid oozed from the wound, dripping onto the cluster of smoldering herbs below.

 

Almost instantly, Seongwoo withdrew something from his pocket: an alcohol wipe packet. He ripped it open without a word, wiping the cut gently. Daniel nearly cursed again; the sting of the alcohol almost felt worse than the knife. Luckily, he kept his pride in tact. Instead, he watched on wordlessly. The motion of Seongwoo’s nimble fingers proved pleasantly distracting from the stinging sensation of his fresh cut wound.

 

The devil disposed of the used wipe somehow. (Daniel really wasn’t sure how - perhaps willing things into disappearance was one of his abilities. Or he threw it away.) Then, from his pocket, he withdrew something else: a bandage roll. Seongwoo moved his hand off of Daniel’s wrist to gently cup it instead. With his other, he started wrapping the bandage around the idol’s palm.

 

Daniel’s eyes drifted up toward Satan’s face, and his mouth fell slightly ajar. He wasn’t sure precisely why he’d looked. Regardless of whatever expectations he had, Seongwoo’s sheer concentration surprised him. There wasn’t a grin teasing at the man’s lips. He didn’t show any inclination to crack a joke whatsoever. The idol shivered slightly, unsuspectingly tickled by the light feathering of the other’s fingertips. Goosebumps pricked his skin. Still, no remark from Lucifer. He finished the wrapping up with a neat little knot atop Daniel’s palm.

 

Giving the other’s hand the gentlest of squeezes, Seongwoo quietly asked, “Are you alright?”

 

“U-uh, yeah,” Daniel was, once again, surprised.

 

“Okay. Um, you can stand back,” Ong gestured to the perimeter of the room, “Or leave the room, that’s fine.”

 

“What happens now?”

 

“Uh, well, I have to start the ritual. All the components are in place. The rest just relies on my concentration. You could say I’m meditating. It’s- it’s probably better that you just take a break somewhere else.”

 

“No,” Daniel shook his head. Like hell was he gonna miss out on an actual satanic ritual - administered by Satan himself! The idea terrified him, but his curiosity trumped any sense of fear or self preservation otherwise. Of course, he wasn’t prepared to tell Satan that he found the ritual incredibly interesting, so he played it off. “If I’m gonna be doing this another eight times, I might as well know the process.”

 

Seongwoo shrugged. He slowly paced toward the center of the runic drawing on the floor. Taking a cross-legged seat, he took a deep breath and closed his eyes. The devil’s head bowed back slightly, and silence ensued. As advised, Daniel stepped back, taking a spot toward the edge of the room. He watched carefully as Seongwoo entered his supposed meditative state.

 

Minutes passed with no visible change. Daniel watched closely, and nervousness began to bubble up in his chest. What was about to happen? Would some terrifying transformation appear before him? Would Seongwoo start speaking in tongues and writhing around? Was this all a prank? The newly minted demon hunter had no idea what to expect.

 

Smoke rose from the alter in front of the man lazily, the scent of  rosemary and thyme filled the room. He watched candlelight flicker on the other’s face, and he swore the shadows painted a demonic visage in the nooks of Lucifer’s skin. Shadows dipped into the hollow above the man’s collarbone and beneath his adam’s apple. The warm light behind him highlighted his silhouette in a dim, orange glow. Almost like a halo. His slender hands rested idly in his lap, and his chest bobbed up and down with deep, steady breaths.

 

Fuck, he looked good.

 

Shame and indignation burned in Daniel’s gut; just as he was about to chastise himself, something changed. The idol’s eyes widened, and he flinched.

 

The peacefully flickering flames of the candles flared up, and Seongwoo’s eyes shot open. Daniel’s jaw dropped at the sight of the immortal man in front of him. Seongwoo no longer had the eyes of a human. The white of his eyes had gone dark, giving way to impossibly dark, inky blackness. In the middle were concentric rings of glowing red.

 

Daniel looked on in awe at the true eyes of Satan. The idea of it was terrifying, at least, it should have been. However, the idol felt more inclined to get a closer look than to run. The merging of flesh and blood and spirit, humanity and hell, fascinated him incredibly. Swallowing nervously, Daniel approached the immortal.

 

Timidly, he asked, “What is it?” He prayed that the man wasn’t in some agitated demonic state. Seongwoo, still stationary in the middle of the divination circle, didn’t bother looking at Daniel.

 

Entranced, the devil muttered,“I found him.”

**Author's Note:**

> // This piece is a work of fiction and is meant to be read as such. All brands and figures mentioned belong to their rightful owners. 
> 
> B0NUS PLAYLiST;  
> SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/user/1243152068/playlist/5InffRSYFdR90fcpm0pj53?si=c03rvWRbTY6G4ZBSeJ9_kQ  
> YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXrq_C6JLcq613Vs_bkF5k9WWul-A642D


End file.
